Age 35
Marital Status Married to Claire. No children but 2 dogs and 1 cat (Paddy, Pip and Bambo!)
Licensed since 1993
Retainer No retainer but I have a great sponsor, Amlin Plus.
Lives Newbury, Berkshire
Drives BMW 340
Agent Dave Roberts
What's your perfect night in and your perfect night out?
My perfect night in would be a BBQ with some friends watching Newcastle play in the FA cup final (but that will never happen in my lifetime!) and my perfect night out would be going to Larkhill’s evening point-to-point meeting and enjoy a few drinks.
You’ve picked up a 2 day suspension – what are you going to do to entertain yourself?
I am a keen golf player so I would go up to Scotland with friends and play golf at the Roxburghe Golf Course.
What’s your favourite holiday destination?
It is Spain but in the Mountains!
Who are your biggest heroes in and out of racing?
In racing, it would definitely be the great W A Stevenson and out of racing, I would choose Mohammed Ali.
What things excite you – and what do you find a turn off?
My wife in a short skirt excites me and bad breath turns me off!
What’s the funniest thing that ever happened to you in the course of your career?
There have been loads of funny moments but there was one in particular. Me and a group of lads were driving up the M40 on the way to a meeting and saw that old black ford covered in orange writing advertising Blackpool Tower in front of us. We all thought who the hell is that? Once we got level with the ford, we cracked up laughing when we realised Seamus Durack was at the wheel! Turns out he was being sponsored by them for a year but I will definitely remember this for a long time.
If you could change one thing in racing, what would it be?
I would up the prize money to 10% for Jockeys as owners think we are getting that amount anyway and I would also up the percentage stables lads are getting as I think they are unrecognised for the work they do.
If you hadn’t been a jockey, what would you like to have done?
As I played county rugby for under 16, I would have liked to be a rugby player.
What’s the daftest question you’ve ever been asked by a journalist?
A couple of journalists asked me “Are you thinking of retirement?” They know who they are and will remain nameless.
What are the best and worst rides you have ever given a horse?
The best one was Miko de Beauchene winning the Welsh National and will definitely remain one of my career highlights. The worst ride I’ve ever given a horse is without a doubt when I rode Spring Grove at the Cheltenham Festival in the 3 mile race. The horse had a good chance of winning but I dropped him into a fence too far and he had no chance of coming back after that and we ended up 7th. Walking back into the Winners enclosure, I told Robert Alner “I was bloody awful” and he just nodded, we didn’t need to say anything else.
What’s the biggest regret of your career?
It would be trying to change my riding style when I was younger. I tried to do like everybody else and ride shorter than I was used too but obviously I kept falling off. It took me a little while to realise it so young lads take note!