Born on May 17, 1954 in Cape Town, South Africa, Michael Roberts was Champion Jockey 11 years running in his native land, on the first occasion while still an apprentice, so his subsequent success in Britain was hardly a surprise. Nicknamed ‘Muis’ or, in English, ‘Mouse’, because of his slight stature, Roberts is probably best remembered, internationally, for his association with Mtoto, trained by Alec Stewart, on whom he won consecutive runnings of the Eclipse Stakes at Sanodwn Park in 1987 and 1988.
Roberts was British Champion Jockey just once, in 1992, by which time he had become first jockey to Sheikh Mohammed, Ruler of Dubai, in the days before Godolphin. However, his title-winning season was notable for the fact that he rode 206 winners, making him, at the time, just the fourth jockey in history, and the first since the legendary Sir Gordon Richards, to reach a double-century in a single season.
Seasonal highlights included three Royal Ascot wins, courtesy of Lyric Fanstasy in the Queen Mary Stakes, Shalford in the Cork and Orrery Stakes (now the Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes) and Armarama in the Ribblesdale Stakes. Roberts also partnered three Group 1 winners at home and abroad, including Lyric Fantasy in the Nunthorpe Stakes at York and Ivanka in the Fillies’ Mile at Ascot.
