November 2018 – Page 6 – Racing Review

Jamie Spencer

Jamie Spencer is an Irish flat racing jockey who has experienced success both at home and in the Britain, and has been crowned champion jockey in both territories. His trademark style is to hold up a horse, then surge through using their natural speed late in the race. It’s a manner of racing that has made him both exciting to watch and a firm favourite of many racing fans.

As is common with many jockeys, Spencer comes from racing. His own father was a successful National Hunt trainer, who went on to win the 1963 Champion Hurdle with Winning Fair. Spencer wasted little time in making a name for himself in the sport too, with a win in the Irish 1000 Guineas at just 17 years of age. The following year be had close to 50 wins under his belt.

Successes in Britain soon followed, with a win on Brian Boru in the 2003 St Leger. Moving here in 2005 he became British Flat Racing Champion Jockey that very same year – a nice addition to his Irish flat racing Champion Jockey title which had come a year prior. He picked up the British title again in 2007.

Riding for various trainers over the years including Aidan O’Brien, Michael Bell, Kevin Ryan and Paul Cole and Qatar Racing, he has displayed consistent excellence with over 2000 wins over the flat. These include the Investec Oaks-Irish Oaks double (2009), Ascot Gold Cup (2011), the 1000 and 2000 Guineas on Just the Judge and Glory Awaits respectively (2012) and multiples British Champions Day wins.

In late 2018, he treated punters at Yarmouth racecourse to a five timer by winning on Terri Rules (9/2), Red Bunting (7/4), Encryption (6/4), Choco Box (evens), and Human Nature (11-4) at the course on the same day. Unfortunately for accumulator fans his one other ride of the day Tripartite was all out of luck!

Jockeys

Ruby Walsh

Ruby Walsh is an Irish jockey of some acclaim. In his career he’s amassed over 2500 wins and has won just about everything there is to win. In part this can be put down to his own racing pedigree, on account that he’s the son of former champion jockey Ted Walsh.

Ruby, or Rupert to use his birthname, wasted no time in getting involved in racing. At the tender age of 18, County Kildare born Walsh was already well on his way, and won the Irish amateur jockey title two years (1996/7, 1997/8) in a row before turning professional. To say that he came on leaps and bounds from there is something of an understatement, on account that in the year 2000 he won the jewel in the racing crown, The Aintree Grand National, on Papillon. Papillon, a horse trained by Ruby Walsh’s father was by no means a favourite (starting at 33-1 before being backed in) and so this was quite some achievement for Walsh who was still only 20. The same year the father-son duo won the Irish Grand National too.

In 2004/2005, Walsh went one National better, winning the Irish Grand National (on Numbersixvalverde), the Welsh (on Silver Birch) and the English (on Hedgehunter). he was narrowly beaten in the Scottish Grand National the same year.

This alone is an amazing achievement, but he’s also made serious inroads into becoming something of a Cheltenham Festival legend. In fact he’s accumulated a staggering 58 winners at the Festival. There’s not much he hasn’t ticked off the list, with highlights being winning the Queen Mother Champion Chase in 2004, 2008 and 2009, and the Cheltenham Gold Cup twice with Kauto Star – in 2007 and 2009 – the first time a horse has reclaimed the title. He’s been leading jockey at the Cheltenham Festival on 11 separate occasions. One less than the number of times he’s been made Irish Jump Jockey champion.

The Tingle Creek Chase, King George VI Chase, Champion Hurdle, Hennessy Gold Cup, Walsh has won and done it all. He’s suffered injuries over the years but always came back from them and at age 39 he still seems to have plenty of gas in the tank.

Horses

American Pharaoh

American Pharaoh has achieved remarkable success in his short career. This American thoroughbred, owned by Ahmed Zayat and trained by Bob Baffert has won everything there is to win since being foaled in 2012. After 2014 wins in races such as the grade one Del Mar Futurity and FrontRunner Stakes, the following year was the year that would transform American Pharaoh into a legend of the sport.

Starting with a Rebel Stakes win in March of 2015, and in the Arkansas Derby the following month, it was May when American Pharaoh took it to the next level with wins in the Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes – with a win in the Belmont Stakes coming soon after. These latter three races make up the Triple Crown of thoughbred racing, and in the history of the event, only 12 other horses have won all three races since 1919. In fact it had been almost three decades since a horse (Affirmed) had achieved this feat of excellence.

American Pharaoh wasn’t done yet though and in the same year added the Breeder’s Cup Challenge to his CV. He now had the four most respected and prominent American races under his belt, an achievement known in its own right as the Grand Slam of Thoroughbred Racing. How many others have achieved this feat you may ask? None in the answer. The right trainer and of course jockey (Victor Espinoza) can of course make a difference, but innate ability must be the overriding factor. It’s no surprise then, with little else to achieve, American Pharaoh was put out to stud at the end of 2015. His career earnings were $8.5 million, a figure expected to be eclipsed by his stud fees.

A life sized sculpture of American Pharaoh and his rider made by renowned sculptor James Peniston is installed at Oakland racetrack, the site of two of the horses early wins.

Horses

Altior

Altior is an Irish bred British trained horse and national hunt specialist. After mixed fortunes in bumper races, he went on to instantly have much more positive results in his first outings over the hurdles, winning the Sharp Novices’ Hurdle and Supreme Novices’ Hurdle. The following season these successes continues with noteable wins in the Henry VIII Novices’ Chase, Arkle Challenge Trophy and the Celebration Chase to name a few.

Altior was bred in Ireland by Ethan Simlett and was eventually bought for €60,000 by Highflyer Bloodstock. He soon moved into training with Nicky Henderson courtesy of ownership by Patricia Pugh. The horse certainly has quite some pedigree as his sire High Chaparral was a Derby winner and two times Breeders Cup Turf winner too.

His ascent to greatness hasn’t been without its problems though. In the 2017/18 season, breathing problems stalled potential career defining opportunities to run in the Tingle Creek Chase, with an eye on the Queen Mother Champion Chase further down the line. However, before long he was back in the mix, in the Game Spirit Chase against some quality opposition. He wasn’t fazed and won handily, which surely bodes well for the future. It’s a case of stay tuned, the best may well be still to come!