2023 Recap
Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup Grade 1 win on Mawj.
Happy New Year!
I wrote this blog from the Jockeys Room at Gulfstream Park.
I really enjoyed the final few months of 2023.
Mawj winning the Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup at Keenland to add to her Qipco 1000 Guineas win was a fantastic afternoon.
Porta Fotuna landing the Cheveley Park Stakes was a special feeling. Alcohol Free provided with victory in the 2020 renewal and hopefully Porta Fortuna can go on to scale similar heights. Winning for Donnacha O Brien made it extra special as we know each other since our early teens and we rode against each other for many years.
Middle Earth is a homebred of Sheikh Fahad’s, he’s been a late developer but I was really pleased with his performances at York and Ascot. He has the potential to make his mark in better company in 2024.
Every horse racing enthusiast is aware Ascot is a special place, whether it’s the Royal meeting or a weekday meeting. I got a huge thrill out of riding a 4 timer there in early September. What made it even better was the fact, the horses were trained by Andrew Balding, Saeed Bin Suroor and Roger/Harry Charlton. Harry Charlton begins 2024 training without his Classic winning father on the licence and I really hope we can team up for many victories over the coming years.
Through 2023 I rode some special fillies and mares and two that really stood out were Sandrine and Matilda Picotte.
Sandrine really is amazing. She won the Albany at Royal Ascot as a 2yr old and won a group race every year she was in training. Trained at Park House Stables by Andrew Balding, his management of Sandrine in getting her to peak each season was top class.
Matilda Picotte stays in training after winning a Group 3 at Doncaster and a Group 2 at Newmarket on her last two starts of the year. She’s owned by some family friends and they’re brilliant enthusiasts.
David Menuisier provided me with a memorable day at Saint Cloud at the back end of the European Turf season with Sunway winning a Group 1 and Cauis Chorister winning a Group 3.
Sunway came to my attention during a piece of work and it’s fantastic when that feeling in the morning translates to the race track like it did when he won the Criterium International Group 1. He’s a homebred of Guy Pariente’s with Sheikh Fahad and Thomas Lines completing the ownership partnership.
I’ve ridden in 12 countries and taken well over 1100 rides in 2023. I have a fantastic group of people supporting me and thank you to everyone who’s helped me through the year. A special thank you to the everyone who looks after these amazing horses at all hours of the day and night, without you the results on the racecourse are impossible.
My future plans, I will ride in Gulfstream most of January with a likely trip back to Mumbai and a trip to Dubai pencilled in February, I’ll be based primarily in England with weekly trips to the Middle East.