SOPHIE RALSTON, the yard’s five pound claimer, revealed that the stable staff at Harper Lodge Farm are “positive and ready to crack on” when racing resumes, in an exclusive interview with me yesterday.
She said on a personal level that she had coped with the lockdown well. “It’s like I’ve had a career break without any consequences. I’m not sitting here feeling jealous of other jockeys. It’s been really nice to relax and you know, just chill out and not have the pressure of racing and the stress of travelling all round the country. I’ve had lots of time to myself which I’ve not had before and it’s really nice.”
Sophie is small, even by jockey standards and indeed her lowest riding weight within the 12 months has been 7st 9lbs. “I am very lucky,” she admitted. “I think I’ve only put on about two pounds. I’ve been eating pretty much what I want. I am careful and I make good choices and I won’t binge. It’s much easier for me. I am lucky.”
In terms of the staff generally and how they’ve been coping, she painted a picture of genuine harmony and camaraderie at the yard. “There’s seven of us in total that live on site. It’s like we’ve been in isolation together. It has brought us closer and we genuinely get on very well anyway but all of this has brought us closer. So, the morale here has actually been quite high and because there isn’t the stress and pressure of the racing, it’s relaxed, it’s laid back. And we’re more relaxed and laid back and I think the horses can feel it. The horses can’t speak but where they lack in speech, I think they’re very sensitive to feeling and people’s emotions and when we’re happy, they do feel it.”
The 27-year-old did say she’s now missing “the buzz of racing…and really looking forward to it coming back.” She also said the staff were not at all apprehensive about going back racing amid the current crisis. She said riding behind closed doors would be very strange but thought the absence of crowds could reduce the pressure and said: “Mabye it will feel just like a piece of work.”
Having ridden 10 winners last year and four already this year (including Dean’s 500th career winner, Fantastic Flyer) before racing shut down, Sophie is looking forward to “carry on riding as many winners as I can. I want to get down to three pounds. That’s an aim, to get down to my three pound claim.”
Sophie & Dean with the trainer’s 500th winner, Fantastic Flyer
Sophie felt “some of the horses had really benefitted from not racing and from us taking it a little bit easier on them.” The change in routine had helped “and some of them are absolutely thriving off that.”
In terms of which horses she’d like to ride, she mentioned Tropics and Badenscoth. Oh and she gave a word to a Solario Racing horse. I have been exercising Spring Romance, I’ve been enjoying him.”
I guess with Sophie’s light weight, he must think he’s been let loose!
