I LOADED up the car for Cartmel on Monday, me driving, my wife Aimee, our daughter Aoife in the back and the dog in the boot.
It sounds like the clichéd family day out … only I had two rides at Cartmel so the rest of the family were off to Fiona Johnson’s place, Richard’s wife, for a relaxing afternoon.
It’s been a challenging week. I was given a call by my agent about two Flat rides and I knew accepting would mean I’d have to drop five pounds to get down to 8st 12lbs. Usually I can do that quiet easily but the see-saw nature of losing and gaining weight on different days was tough this time.
I was glad I did it. I didn’t post a winner, but both horses ran well.
Someone asked me last week what kind of reception a Jumps jockey gets when he turns up in a Flat Weigh Room.
Bear in mind we like to give the Flat lads a bit of stick over them having an easier beat, less falls, broken bones all of that. They have their own clique too, being at the same tracks every day and sometimes you’d be wondering if they’re saying to themselves: ‘This Jumps lad is here picking up our spare rides!’
They are as good as gold though in fairness and the help that Flat jockeys like George Baker have given me in recent months is really appreciated. It’s great to have someone who can give you an appraisal of tracks you are not familiar with — and what to watch out for.
I know the news of this broke some weeks ago, but Michael Tabor’s takeover of Bet Victor is something that I’ve been meaning to address in this column.
In my last entry I aired my concerns about the growing influence of owners, however this is a small victory for the industry. Tabor is a racing man and I would expect that the profits he will make through Bet Victor — considerable as they are — will end-up being reinvested into racing and stabilising prize money.
This can only be a good thing for everyone. It’s not a major victory but it does represent a score back.
Pick of the week - £5 each way Safari Journey, 8.05 Wetherby, Thursday
