The Turf

6 September 2008

Character call

There is not, he agreed, any easy solution to the problem and it is a matter of the young hopefuls having the character to stick at it. Anybody who has watched Saleem on the ‘hold-up’ sprinter Hogmaneigh know this is a jockey who can deliver the goods. Currently he is riding out for Mark Tompkins, for Stuart and for former jockey Walter Swinburn, who is also giving him a few rides. The realistic Golam, who admires Richard Hughes and whose chums include Royston French, Chris Catlin and Adam Kirby, says of his targets, ‘If you’d asked me at the start of the season I’d have said 40 winners. Now I’d settle for 20.’ But the determination is there, so is experience in Mauritius and in Dubai. He has no weight problems and, as with so many young aspirants, what he needs is a few well-publicised winners on TV days.

As Stuart Williams says, ‘I’d love him to get a decent run of victories. He’s a good rider and he’s so much on your side.’

The final pleasure at Folkestone was seeing Moreton Morell trainer George Baker win the seller with Singleb. Just six months after starting up with a target of ten wins by Christmas the former banker, former racing journalist was celebrating his 12th winner.

Another realist, and one advised by David Loder who started his career the same way, George Baker said of the sellers and similar races, ‘These are our Derbies. This is another notch. You can put them in a handicap and finish sixth and not be noticed. If you pick up the paper and see yours is the favourite you know you are in the right place. When you are starting out it’s all about momentum.’

George, who has had some comical confusions with the lanky Flat jockey of the same name, revealed recently that he had an ambition to name a horse George Baker and book the eponymous jockey, so the racecard would read: George Baker, trained by George Baker, ridden by George Baker. Gambler Harry Findlay, Denman’s owner, was so taken with the story that he has purchased and named such an animal.

Trainer Baker, meanwhile, is expanding so fast that he will soon have 60 horses for the Flat and jumps. ‘Come and ride out,’ he invited me. Unless he is planning to train shire horses too that may be an unwise invitation at my current riding weight. But I shall postpone my reply until my chiropractor has seen the MRI results.