Jockey

In an interview with the Guardian newspaper a few days ago, Irishman Paddy Brennan poured his heart out about an incident that happened a little over 12 months ago. Brennan and his horse, Cue Card, seemed to be on the verge of winning the Cheltenham’s Gold Cup, and then the unexpected happened – the man and his horse clattered to the grass, and his dream of the 1 million-pound prize went up in smoke.

It hasn’t always been like that for the Irishman

Growing up in County Galway, Brennan wanted nothing more than to become a county hurler. His entry into horse racing was as accidental as the few slip ups he has suffered on the race track. Brennan was so invested in hunt horses that his neighbor noticed his exceptional skill and advised him to try the trade. Taking the cue, the young Irishman started his apprenticeship with Jim Bolger. After a while, he became part of Paul Nicholls’s team 17 years ago.

Going professional

The 35-year-old has been around for quite a bit, and it is fair to say that his portfolio does not look particularly wanting. The 2004/05 season saw him become a champion conditional jockey. In 2006, while riding Shamayoun, he galloped his way to the Fred Winter Juvenile Novices’ Handicap Hurdle. 2007 saw him win the Ladbrokes World Hurdle while riding Inglis Drever. The Pertemps Final trophy came with Brennan astride Ballyfitz. He has also won the Bettfair Chase two times, 2015 and 2016.The victories have been attained with Imperial Commander and Cue Card respectively.

Brennan’s pay dirt

As of today, Brennan has rode the back of over 1,000 winners, so you can bet he keeps trotting to the bank. And if he plays his cards right this week, he will be able to obliterate the memories of that tumble 12 months ago-on the same horse too!

Lester Keith Piggott is more than the sum of his parts. He is a name, a legend, a phenomenon, and one of the true greats of jockeying. The 81-year-old’s resume is simply breathtaking; over the course of his career, he managed to put together 4,493 wins, but even managinh to win the Epsom Derby 9 times. They called him the Long Fellow, and his competitive nature kept him in races even when the bookies had written him off.

Born in Wantage, Piggott came from a long line of trainers and jockeys going back all the way to the 18th century. His grandfather was a three-time Grand National winner. The young Piggott started riding horses in his own backyard, where his father kept stables. The would-be jockey managed to win his first race at the tender age of 12. This paved a path forward for a stellar career that spanned decades and included impressive accolades.

Notable accolades

The Long Fellow(moniker was used because he was taller than the average jockey) has been crowned Champion Jockey a record eleven times. Riding Never Say Die, he managed his first Epsom Derby victory at just 18 years of age. He would go on to win eight more and etch his name in the history of flat racing.

When Piggott retired, he became a trainer. In their heydays, his stables housed 97 horses and managed to send out 30-odd winners. However, his career as a trainer took a beating when he got in trouble with the law over tax evasion, ending up in jail for a year. After prison, he resumed with his jockeying career and rode his last winner in 1994. He hung up his saddle in 1995.

The paper trail

Lester Piggot existed in a timeline where jockeying more of a hobby than a career. However, due to this longevity in the sport, he is estimated to have raked in millions of pounds in winnings.

Aidan Coleman’s rise to the top in the horse racing world was not as predictable as the stories of other jockeys across the UK. None of his parents or fore parents had shown more than a passing interest in horses, and young Aidan looked destined for a job in the noble profession of teaching, which is what his parents were doing. However, the young lad had a lifetime in the stables, interacting with the family horses. Aidan’s core racing influence might have been his elder brother Kevin, who made the snap decision to become a jockey and went on to win the Galway Plate in the year 2007.

Aidan’s journey

When Aidan decided he wanted to be a jockey too, he moved from his birthplace of Cork, Ireland and settled in the UK. This was in 2007, at age 19. A year later, the Irishman made it abundantly clear that he had not come to the UK for the football matches, becoming one of the youngest ever jockeys to participate in the Grand National, where he placed tenth. In the same year, he was selected as the top conditional Jockey in the UK. Over the years, Coleman has solidified his position as a serious contender in every meeting, and capped off 2016 with an incredible 108 wins. This year, he has already notched 23 wins and is still looking strong.

Notable victories

Aidan Coleman has had plenty to smile about from his last decade in the sport. In 2008, he won the Red Rum Handicap Chase at Aintree astride Stan. In 2009, rivals fell at the Pertemps Final at Cheltenham Festival, with Coleman riding Kayf Aramis. In 2012, the Rising Stars Novices’ Chase at Wincanton also became his. He most recently (February 2017) won the Betfair Denman Chase while running on Native River.

For Harry Skelton, it’s all about keeping it in the family. For a long time now, the jockey has chosen to keep his friends close, and family even closer. Dan, his brother, has been around for so long that he is now just a part of the landscape. However, it has not all been fun and games for this pro, son of internationally acclaimed showjumper, Nick Skelton. After blowing away expectations with 31 winners in 2009/2010, he had to contend with a dip in form that left a dry taste in the mouth (and stables full of potential winners). Harry found his dominance under threat but has rallied back well, clawing his way back to the top like only a Skelton could.

A lot of Skelton’s progress can be attributed to the unwavering faith his brother Dan put in him. Skelton himself admits that had the brother not come along to save the day, things would have gone belly up. Dan is no light weight either. At one point, he was assistant to the one and only Paul Nicholls, and that’s quite a bit of a story to have on your portfolio. There aren’t that many family teams in this game, but the ones that do exist always have a story to tell.

Victories

A quick look at the stats tells you that Skelton hasn’t been sitting on his haunches for the last few years. He started in 2015 with the Neptune Investment Management Novices’ Hurdle astride Three Musketeers. After a bunch of wins, he capped off the year with Betfred the Peterborough Chase , leading his mount Al Ferof to victory. 2016 started with Sky Bet Supreme Trial Novices’ Hurdle and ended with Stanjames.com Greatwood Handicap Hurdle.