If you have a target in life, never give up on it.
(Rodney Masters talks to Seb Sanders as the jockey stakes his claim on the title Published: 03/09/2004 (Sport) Rodney Masters)
GRATEFUL punters labelled him 'Safe Hands Sanders' some while ago. They'd made note of a compelling statistic and cashed in on his hot strike-rate on favourites. His level-stakes profit takes some topping, too, and is currently hovering at around pounds 120.
However, even the most handsomely rewarded disciple of Seb Sanders must have elevated an eyebrow when Kieren Fallon, during an interview in February, nominated Sir Mark Prescott's new number one as the most potent threat to his seventh championship. At the time Fallon was 1-3; Sanders 33-1. Most, including Sanders himself, reckoned Fallon was playing mind games worthy of the great exponent of the art, Sir Alex Ferguson - with the intention of getting under the skin of the jockey who was generally viewed as his main opponent, Darryll Holland.
Sanders says: 'While I was flattered that Kieren mentioned my name, I realised he was probably attempting to wind someone up, so I didn't take his comment too seriously. Personally, I reckoned I'd be in a better position to chase for the title next season, rather than this one.'
Nonetheless, it was a canny call by Fallon because it came before flag fall on the starting grid. Sanders duly mounted a hard and persistent challenge that hasn't totally dropped away, though while he was sitting in the sin-bin with a four-day suspension last week the champion was disappearing to a dot over the horizon. The events of this week may nudge open the window of opportunity once more. For Sanders, the upside of the suspension was the freeing-up of precious hours, at long last, to share with 11-month-old daughter Darcy, and wife Leone, at their home near Bury St Edmunds.
In July, he rode 44 winners - possibly a record - but they came at a cost. Twice in the same week he rode at three meetings in one day. He sat cuddling Darcy while we spoke. 'I'm introducing myself to my daughter,' he says. 'This season has been so busy I've missed seeing her grow up. There was no time for anything else in my life. 'But, like I say to people when they ask about my busy schedule, I don't want sympathy. I just want understanding. 'The month of July was just a whirl. I still haven't found out if 44 winners in a month set a record. People thought I'd be exhausted, but when your are kicking in the winners, tiredness is never important. 'Sure, I'd go to bed whacked, but I'd jump up full of beans next morning eager to take on the day.'
Time, too, during last week's suspension for a rewind of the elastic band to propel him across the final two months of the season. He'll only give up the chase of Fallon when, or perhaps now if, the title is mathematically out of reach. 'I'm that type of chap,' he says. 'When I set myself a goal I'll keep going, head down, until I net it. No matter how long it takes. Racing is full of surprises. An example of that came at the York Ebor meeting, where I reckoned I wouldn't ride a winner when looking at my rides at the beginning of the week. What happened? I had three - two at 16-1, and one at 33-1. And they included the Nunthorpe and Gimcrack. 'Sure, it'll be hard to peg back Kieren, but I'll thrive on the challenge.We're fairly good friends and play golf together. There's plenty of banter between us. It's friendly rivalry. There's no malice. I'll be pitching in there until the end. 'If you have a target in life, never give up on it. When I was a teenager I had to wait 18 months for my first ride after m time at the racing school in Newmarket. Over that period never once did I think of quitting.'
At this point he seizes an opportunity to slip another helping of nostalgia into the conversation. That first racecourse ride was on Band On The Run, who sired his first winner the other day with Band, also trained by Bryan McMahon, and ridden by Sanders.
The association with the canny trainer from Tamworth, whom he clearly admires and respects, came when his step-father Adrian, a plumber by trade, went to the stables to fix a leak and asked if his schoolboy son might ride out. He was there for seven years before moving on to Reg Akehurst in 1994. Sanders won the apprentice championship the next season, when two of the trainers to support him with a regular supply of winners were James Toller and Peter Makin.
CHARTING the jockey's career, it becomes apparent that he falls out with no-one and loyalty is a key factor in his strategy. To this day he continues to ride for both trainers, and he rewarded them in spades this year for that all-important support in his youth. Toller's Bachelor Duke gave Sanders a first Classic when winning the Irish 2,000 Guineas, and the gloom over Makin's stable was blasted away when Pivotal Point took the Stewards' Cup. Sanders expects the same horses to deliver again this season. Bachelor Duke disappointed when down the field in the St James's Palace Stakes, but will be fresher than most when he returns to Ascot for the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes. 'Forget the run at Royal Ascot,' insists Sanders.'He wasn't right that day and didn't let himself down on the fast ground. I rode him in a piece of work the other day and he was first-class. I was very impressed. I'm confident he'll run a big race.'
He predicts much the same for Pivotal Point, whom, he believes is blessed with the class to put down a marker at Group-race level. 'He won on the wrong side at Goodwood, and won well. He can step up to Pattern company without too much of a problem.' For many years, Makin had a second claim on Sanders' services and they have never had a cross word. 'Show loyalty and respect to trainers, and they'll give you the same in return,' Sanders says. 'I was thrilled to ride a big-race winner for Peter after the virus problems that have kept his stable below par in recent seasons.' The jockey's tie with agent Keith Bradley is one of long standing too, stretching back to the days before he won the apprentice championship. Bradley is also agent for George Duffield and, therefore, it was no surprise that he was the conduit to Prescott.
'One day when George was in the north, Keith fixed me up with a spare for Sir Mark at Salisbury. I got the written orders, followed them to the letter, and the horse won. We went on from there. Being Sir Mark's number one has raised my profile and lifted me to another level in the league of jockeys. It's as if people look at me in a different light. They've got such respect for Sir Mark. 'I've ridden out for him for six or seven years. The greatest sin at Heath House is to be late in the morning. It happened just the once. It was by only five minutes. But Sir Mark's reaction was . . . well, unprintable. It'll never, never happen again. My wife makes sure it won't! I've always been a heavy sleeper, but she has sorted me out. I'm a lot more sensible since she grabbed hold of me.'
A devotee of the statistics, Sanders is well aware of his smart strike-rate on favourites, and also on his record at various racecourses. 'I check out the stats every day,' he says. 'If I'm on three favourites, I'll be confident of at least one winner; if I've four rides at Brighton, there's a good chance I'll come away with a winner.'
There's no doubting that Sanders, who believes he's reaching his prime at the age of 32, is blessed with the talent, and the required determination, to seize the championship some time in the next ten seasons. The title will be in safe hands.
'He hasn't a prayer of winning the title, unless . . .' NEVER one to be confused in a grey area of doubt, Sir Mark Prescott doesn't dither when asked to evaluate his stable jockey's prospects of seeing off Fallon and co for the championship.
'Seb hasn't got a prayer, never has had unless some misfortune or drama ruled out Mr Fallon,' insists Prescott. Prescott The Prophet? He was speaking before the law came knocking on the champion's door. 'People don't appreciate how the racing programme changes after the August Bank Holiday,' adds the trainer. There are so many more maidens, giving opportunities to the major stables, like Sir Michael's.'
Prescott is equally forthright when asked why he appointed Sanders. 'He's discreet. He carries out orders. To carry out orders isn't easy, you know. On his first ride for me, which was at Salisbury, he was at the junction in exactly the position I'd instructed him to be, and the horse won. On his second ride, he once again followed my orders to the letter. I thought to myself 'My God. This is unusual'. 'If for some reason I cannot see the first 150 yards of a race, I know precisely where Seb will be when the horses come into view. It's the same with George [Duffield].' Prescott adds: 'I floated in Seb very gently, bit by bit and the owners took to him. It was understood he'd take over as number one when George decided to retire. It was George's suggestion at the end of last season that they swap roles, mainly because he was living in Yorkshire and it was more difficult for him to ride out at Heath House twice a week. 'Unfortunately George injured himself when falling off one of Mrs Duffield's and accordingly he has been in a position to accept just one ride for us so far this year.'
As Prescott points out, one of the advantages of being stable jockey at Heath House is the forward planning which allows a jockey's agent to confidently complete a full book of rides from outside stables without fear of a late switch. They've had few hiccups in their relationship. 'He did turn up to ride out one morning with stubble on his chin. It was ghastly. I made my view clear on the matter. Though to be fair to him, I think I'd had him riding at Carlisle the previous evening, and he was living in Epsom at the time. He has arrived clean shaven ever since.'