Age 35
Marital status Engaged, to Alison
Licensed since 1987
Retainer Freelance
Lives Newmarket
Drives Lexus IS220D
Agent Guy Jewell
What's your perfect night in, and your perfect night out? My perfect night in would just be me and Alison in our very small house. She's a wonderful cook, so she could make us a great dinner and we would just put our feet up, chill out and watch TV. The evening would be made even better if the Barcelona-Real Madrid game was on television – with a win for Barca, naturally. Perfect night out would be if we came down to London for the weekend and hung out in Hyde Park, or somewhere like that, and then had Japanese food in the evening.
You've picked up a two-day suspension – what are you going to do to entertain yourself? I don't like golf, so I'd probably just ride out in the mornings and take it easy for the rest of the day.
What's your favourite holiday destination? I don't really do holidays, as such, but I always love going back home to Spain, the Basque country, where I come from.
Who'd be your ideal three companions for the long drive to Musselburgh? For the driving, Fernando Alonso. He'd get us there quicker than anyone else could, and if there was a lot of traffic he's not bad at pushing people out of the way, either. In the back seat, Jennifer Lopez and Ronaldinho.
One to talk about football and the other . . .
What CDs would you keep in the glove compartment for when the conversation dries up? I like all kinds of music, but best of all I like to listen to Spanish flamenco music – you won't have heard of any of the artists involved, but I've got some fantastic stuff.
Who are your biggest heroes – in and out of racing? Lester Piggott, of course. You can't leave him out, although he was a bit before my time as far as his first career went. Of those in racing now, I suppose its Frankie Dettori. He's a fantastic rider and he's done so much for racing in and out of the saddle. As far as outside racing is concerned, I don't really have heroes, so I'm going to say my family, who've always supported me and stood up for me – I know I can count on them.
What things excite you – and what do you find a turn-off? Let's stick to racing, shall we? One of the major turn-offs is prize-money – I can't believe that in Britain, horses can race for such ridiculously low prize-money. On the other hand, for the sheer quality of racing and atmosphere, Royal Ascot is my favourite meeting of the season. I always try to go there even if I don't have a ride.
What's the funniest thing that ever happened to you in the course of your work? There've been a few things . . . last year I left home, drove to the races, had two or three rides, drove back again, and it wasn't until I got home that I found I was wearing odd shoes. They were both black, but quite different, and no-one had noticed all day. Just goes to show how much I'm on automatic pilot in the mornings!
If you could change one thing in racing, what would it be? Apart from the prize-money situation, it would have to be all the travelling – it really gets on my nerves sometimes, especially when I'm caught in rush-hour traffic.
If you hadn't been a jockey, what would you like to have done? I'm no good at football, and I don't like golf, but I love speed, I love driving fast, I love going fast, and I'd have liked to have been a Formula 1 driver. I probably wouldn't have been great at it, but I love watching the grand prix.
What's the daftest question you've ever been asked by a journalist?
There have been so many silly questions that I can't pick one out now – trust me, people have asked me some really strange things.
What are the best and worst rides you have ever given a horse? The best is easy – Soviet Song in the Fillies' Mile at Ascot in 2002. Everything went right in the race, and to win my first Group 1, in such a big race, at such a track, was a wonderful moment. It was the best ride because it was my best win. Worst ride? Every time I don't win.
What's the biggest regret of your career? I don't have any regrets, really, although sometimes I wish that I'd come to England sooner.