My Race Days

Racing, Stress, a Sneaky Pic and a Poem

Out with the old and in with the new!  Last season finished on Saturday, and I fell one winner short of my target of ten, much to my annoyance and only I had 163 rides but I did stay relatively injury free, which was a major plus for me, as my body has been through the mill over the years. It just goes to show how tough the game has got but I've never worked so hard trying to get rides, riding out for different trainers in the morning and working hard on my fitness, which makes it really annoying not to have done a bit better. But I'm never one to give up and since the new season started on Sunday we’re all back to zero so if I thought I worked hard last season, my body and mind is going to get yet another shock as I give it another serious kick. Last season I did not have my first winner until October and, by the powers within me, I will be trying my hardest for that not to happen again. I've spoken to my agent Russ James and he is doing his best to get me on more but most trainers already have their own jockeys and that just makes it more difficult to get on the very few spare rides, especially during the summer months. I did toy with the idea of riding in America during August, which is our quietest time as jump jockeys, and I am still working on that. I did ride out there a couple of years ago and managed a winner so we will see how we get on.

International Jockey

This past week my stress levels have been going through the roof. Ask Jessie Lodge who has been helping me out organising this years "Da Jesters" awards! I’m up at 5.30 most mornings to ride out, followed by racing and then I have to sit down by my laptop trying to put it all together. But to de-stress today after riding out I took on Daryl Jacob in a match play game of golf to get away from the computers and more importantly to try take a few of the pounds he has made over the last 3 weeks....thankfully I was successful and managed to snatch £20, despite this being small pocket money to Daryl he was devastated to hand it over! 

With one day to go we are just about there and have a great show to put on. All the Jockeys, that are nominated, have been great in sending me the pictures that I wanted and even some who can’t attend have been doing a video link for me. This year I’ve got Luke Harvey, from AtTheRaces, to help present the show which will take a bit of the pressure off. Matt Chapman was also good enough this week to give me an interview to help plug the event, if it even needs it! I was chatting to AP McCoy, yesterday at Hereford, making sure he was still okay to come and present the awards, and he said “yes”. I also told him it was Black Tie, and he gave me a strange look! I hope he doesn’t wear one and we will be getting an extra few quid for The Injured Jockeys Fund, but knowing him being a professional he will be suited and booted. My Agent, doing his job, has booked me a ride in the very last race at Uttoxeter on Saturday, so it will be a dash back to Lambourn as soon as I pull up. I’ll be giving that ride 200% to get back in time. Here is a sneak-peak of the picture Colin Bolger sent me ahead of his nomination in "Da Gangster of Da Weighroom" category.

Bolge in his Gangster Gear

This is the award that No Jockey wants to win...

 
Da Jesters

We all start somewhere with dreams that we are chasing,
And some will be fulfilled tonight at Da Jesters the real awards in racing.
 
Another year has passed and there are new stories to be told,
With some new faces creeping in and still plenty of the old.
 
So to tonight itself and what we have in store,
We have laughs and jokes, girls, blokes and insults galore!
 
The Gangsters strutted around all year so that award is back.
All though the defending champ will be hard to beat because, you know, he's whack.

We will celebrate the young and old, those that can and can't get hired,
Those who seem to think they're a Jockey and those who should be retired.
 
We will celebrate twitter and all on there who think they're bright
And of course the valets, well Crossie cause he's so bloody tight.

The spoons will get a mention the boys that wear all the Tweed,
And the one you've all been waiting for as we celebrate hairlines that reseed...

So I hope a good night is had by all, the shy and the plucky,
If you didn't win one this year maybe next year you'll get lucky.