Age 29
Marital status Married to Lucinda for two years, and we have a three-month-old daughter, Alice. I'm just starting to get some sleep again.
Licensed since 1998
Retainer Freelance, but the majority of my rides are for Amanda Perrett
Lives Pulborough, West Sussex
Drives Audi A4
Agent Guy Jewell
What's your perfect night in, and your perfect night out? Night in: put the baby to bed, order a Chinese takeaway, and watch a film. I'd probably have to watch what the wife wants to watch, so it's going to be a romantic movie. If I can, I'll sneak out and take our two lurchers out to chase rabbits – we've also got a Jack Russell. For a night out, I'd meet friends at the Welldiggers pub in Petworth.
You've picked up a two-day suspension – what are you going to do to entertain yourself? If it's winter, I'll try to do a day's hunting; in summer, I'll play golf, but only if the weather is nice. On the other day, I'd better take the wife shopping.
What's your favourite holiday destination? I love skiing, so it would be Meribel. I've been there four or five times, and loved it. I also enjoyed Dubai – I haven't ridden there, but I'm hoping to get a spin or two round there during the carnival next spring.
Who'd be your ideal three companions for the long drive to Musselburgh? Peter Kay, who is very funny, can drive. That would leave me free to get in the back with Cameron Diaz and Julia Roberts – we'd have a nice chat there.
What CDs would you keep in the glove compartment for when the conversation dries up? I'm a big fan of U2 – I went to see them at Wembley. I'd probably take Achtung Baby, which I thought was a better album than The Joshua Tree. Also something by the Stereophonics and Rod Stewart.
Who are your biggest heroes – in and out of racing? Mick Kinane is the ultimate professional, but my biggest hero is J P McNamara. I've seen what he's been through, and he is absolutely inspirational. Outside racing, I'd go for Ian Wright and Thierry Henry, as I've been an Arsenal fan since I was a kid. I'm gutted that Henry has left – though I will follow his fortunes closely at Barcelona.
What things excite you – and what do you find a turn-off? Riding in the big races at the big meetings is what excites me – especially at Goodwood. And I should follow Neil Callan and mention the wife at this point! I can't bear rude or arrogant people.
What's the funniest thing that ever happened to you in the course of your work? A jockey who shall remain nameless – but he is Irish – came to stay with me. I'd had a chicken in the fridge for well over a week that I hadn't got round to throwing out, and I warned him not to eat it, but he just said: “It'll be grand,” and tucked in. The next day I drove him to the races, and we had to stop 11 times on the roadside on the way to Kelso – there were no loos anywhere. Let's just say, the Racing Post was the only thing in the car he could use to clean up. He had to give up all his rides – and we stopped twice on the way back as well.
If you could change one thing in racing, what would it be? Our stalls handlers are very good, but there aren't enough of them. The racecourses are trying to save money, and are now short-staffed in this area – there's some sort of problem in every race. They need to recruit more good handlers.
If you hadn't been a jockey, what would you like to have done? Be a footballer – they get paid obscene amounts of money for not doing very much – or race motorbikes. My step-brother won on the Isle Of Man.
Do you ever read the Betfair forum? No, but I have heard it's very funny. It might knock my confidence to see what's said if they think I have given something a bad ride!
What's the daftest question you've ever been asked by a journalist? What's harder – Flat or jumps? Let's just say I am minus a collarbone, and that didn't happen on the Flat. As well as the falls, it's harder to get rides over jumps, and you last longer and get paid better on the Flat.
What are the best and worst rides you have ever given a horse? The best was aboard Buddy Marvel for Sir Robert Ogden in a handicap chase at Aintree – he was a complete monkey and wasn't very big, but I managed to take it up 50 yards out and hold on. The worst was on Malek in the Rowland Meyrick at Wetherby a couple of years ago. I was a length clear going to the last, but played it safe and asked him to pop it, only for him to crash through it. We got done on the run-in by Truckers Tavern.
What's the biggest regret of your career? I had a great time over jumps, but I wish I had made the switch to the Flat a bit sooner.