The Pat Smullen Column: Just Reward For Seamie

[Wandering Eyes]

I was delighted to see Seamie Heffernan win the Derby on Anthony Van Dyck (Ire) and I’m pretty sure that everyone in the weighing-room in Ireland, and in fact everyone in Irish racing, would not begrudge him that result. He’s ridden so many great horses over the years at Ballydoyle, whether it’s in the morning or in the afternoon at the races, and he has been and integral part of that operation and for Aidan O’Brien pretty much since the beginning.

He and Aidan worked together at Jim Bolger’s and then when Aidan moved from Owning Hill to Ballydoyle, Seamie joined him there and they’ve had a very strong relationship. I think we can’t underestimate the part that Seamus plays in the workings of Ballydoyle. He’s a really good judge in the mornings and a very straight talker—he tells it as it is with no frills and I think that suits the operation.

Winning the Derby was due reward for him after being placed on numerous occasions and riding all those good horses in big races around the world. Obviously he has always played second jockey to a number of great riders they have been associated with Ballydoyle over the years and he has always been a huge team player. Every yard needs good work riders—not that I’m labelling him as a work rider as he’s a very good jockey—but obviously in the mornings he is extremely valued. Seamus has his opinion and delivers it directly, to put it mildly, and I think that Aidan has respect for him for that. More often than not he has been correct in his judgement and all the owners, as well as Aidan, have huge respect for him.

Having said all of that, I must admit that at the furlong pole I was shouting for Madhmoon (Ire).  I thought for about ten strides we were going to have the result that I think racing would have wanted to see—for 86-year-old Kevin Prendergast to train an Epsom Derby winner.  He’s a legendary man from a legendary family in Irish racing and it would have been brilliant for him to have won, but it wasn’t to be. Madhmoon was given an excellent ride by Chris Hayes and was prepared really well by Kevin but unfortunately he just got run out of it. It was a huge performance by the horse and a step forward again from Newmarket and an excellent run in the Guineas. You couldn’t say that he didn’t stay but to my eye, we will probably see the best of him when he comes back to a mile and a quarter. That said, I’m sure they will go and have a crack at the Irish Derby, which is probably the logical thing to do. His day will come before the end of the year.

Hindsight is a wonderful thing and we were all looking thinking that Sir Dragonet (Ire) was the unknown and may be another champion in the making.  I certainly overlooked Anthony Van Dyck but he was the top-rated horse in the race and he duly showed that he was the best horse in the race.

To me, the Derby is the most important 3-year-old race in the calendar and it remains the ultimate test of a racehorse in mind and body. They have to be able to not let the occasion get to them, and equally they have to have the physique and the balance to deliver their best on a unique track.

Frankie Dettori came to the fore again in the Oaks and gave Anapurna (GB) a copybook Epsom ride. He was very patient and got a beautiful position, and then when the race opened up well for him he was able to outrun Pink Dogwood (Ire) at the line. Not only was it a great ride by Frankie but it was yet another excellent training performance by John Gosden. Anapurna was very gutsy.  The fillies seemed to be on a fairly level playing field going into the race but we must give credit to the winner and the runner-up as the two of them pulled a fair way clear from the third horse, Fleeting (Ire). They are clearly two very good fillies and let’s hope that they will clash again at some stage in the year.

A jockey’s best friend
In the next month we will see the retirement of one of the stalwarts of the weighing-room in valet Robert ‘Nuggy’ Rusk and I thought I should take this opportunity to highlight the importance of what a ballot does for jockey on a daily basis.

Nuggy is a character and has been in the weighing-room for as long as I can remember. When things are tough and your head is down, he has always had the ability to make you laugh and get back up and going again. The weighing-room is completely unique. At the races it’s the jockeys’ sanctuary and it’s only now that I’m beginning to realise that there are whole areas of race tracks that I have never seen. All I’ve ever known is going to the weighing room and back home again and that illustrates just how much time jockeys spend in there.

The role of a valet in the workings of the weighing-room is firstly that they bring you your racing gear and your saddle and make sure that everything is laid out for you in order that you can do your day’s work.  But they are very much more than that.  You can confide in them and speak to them about problems, whether it’s personal or business-related and they will help you along and give you advice. The unique thing about the relationship is that they actually get to learn about your body nearly more than you do yourself.

In the past for me, they would have known that I’d always try to get out for some dinner on a Sunday night so they would always have my saddle prepared for me to be two or three pounds heavier on a Monday than I would be for the rest of the week.  They would know when you are in bad form and when to leave you alone, or when to approach you to see if everything is okay.  They very much work almost as counsellors along with everything else. Jockeys have a deep relationship with them, right from the basics of making sure that all your equipment is in good working order and ordering new equipment for you when you need it.

It’s a small community in the weighing-room and deep friendships are made. The valets have all the stories which are never revealed outside. But most importantly they take away all the pressure on a race day so that all you have to worry about is riding your horses.

I’d like to wish Nuggy a happy retirement. He will be missed and the weighing-room will certainly be a much quieter place without him.

 

 

 

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