Roberts inducted into Hall Of Fame
THE annual Michael Roberts race day at Scottsville today fittingly happens just days after the great rider became the first jockey to be inducted into South Africa’s Hall Of Fame.
Roberts’ retired just 32 winners short of 4000 and here are a selection of five of his best rides.
1972 Sentinel - Grade 1 Cape Guineas, Milnerton (deadheat with In Full Flight):
In Full Flight finished in front of Sentinel eight times in 11 meetings but in arguably their most important clash, in the Cape Guineas, Sentinel managed to dead-heat thanks to the brilliance of Roberts. At the top of the straight the leader Boland Boy rolled off the rail and Roberts pounced. He drove Sentinel through the gap. He had immediately recognised the opportunity to steal a couple of lengths on In Full Flight. However, he had to commit instantly in the knowledge that Boland Boy could roll back on to the rail. In Full Flight had to come around Boland Boy and did get up to share but would likely have won had Roberts not stolen that march.
1976 Michaelmas - Grade 1 Benoni Guineas, Gosforth Park:
Some of Roberts’ best rides in South Africa were for Brian Cherry. Cherry once said: “Heracles, for instance, was not a great horse but Michael burgled the SA Guineas on him.” Roberts also had a tremendous association with the Cherry-trained sprinter Ted’s Ambition. Another of his great rides for Cherry was on Michaelmas in the Grade 1 Benoni Guineas at Gosforth Park. Jockey and trainer walked the course on the Friday and Roberts noticed the grass was uncut on the inside rail. He told Cherry he would swerve out coming into the straight and showed him the route he would take. The next day Roberts followed the route as if it had been marked by pencil and won by a length on a horse better suited to 1400m.
1988 Mtoto – Group 1 King George V1 and Queen Elizabeth Diamond Stakes, one mile two furlongs, Royal Ascot meeting:
Trainer Alec Stewart insisted Roberts ride Mtoto from last, as usual, despite the short Ascot straight and Roberts’ concerns he would not quicken as well in sticky going. Mtoto tended to panic if horses were behind him and would begin pulling, but as soon as he was last he would drop the bridle. Roberts followed the instruction to a tee. Another advantage of being last was he was able to stick to the inside rail for most of the race and then switch him to the outside for a run rounding the final turn. Mtoto's turn of foot was as devastating as usual and he stormed home by two lengths to the roar of the huge crowd. 1991 Mystiko 2000 Guineas Newmarket Rowley Mile:
This was Roberts’ first British Classic victory and the key was not just in the race itself. As trainer Clive Britain was quoted as saying: “Mystiko wouldn't have won a Classic with just an ordinary jockey. Mystiko was a tearaway. There were only so many gallops in him. Michael Roberts got on well with Mystiko. Roberts wins a lot of races before the finish with his tactical skills during the race. As a man he has great character. Nothing is too much trouble. If there is a problem with a horse, say with his temperament, he makes light of the difficulty. Roberts is a tremendous horseman. And if you listen he is always there with something worthwhile to say. The more I used him the more I appreciated he had a racing brain second to none. Plotting and planning a race were second nature to him.” Roberts rode Mystiko out every morning and taught him to relax. Therefore, in the 2000 Guineas he was able to drive him out of the stalls and come across a few horses and secure the standside rail without the horse tearing away. He was travelling like a winner some way out. However, Roberts was wary of the climb to the finish and left a little in reserve. He was thus able to repel the late challenge of Lycius coming out of the dip and win by a head.
1991 Terimon, Group 1 Juddmonte International, York, one mile and two-anda-half furlongs:
Terimon needed eight attempts to break his maiden and then in his next start, with Roberts riding him for only the second time, he placed second to Nashwan in the 1989 Epsom Derby. His 500-1 odds were the biggest price for a placed horse in Derby history. He was a cantankerous horse who was tremendous at home but wouldn’t go through with it on the racecourse. Roberts thus used to put him in impossible positions and hope for a run. The Derby had panned out well due to the “lung-bursting” pace and he was able to pick them off one by one from last in the running. However, he had been ridden just to place that day and became an increasingly difficult horse to win with. Roberts realised there was unlikely to be any pace in the 1991 Juddmonte International. If Terimon was held back in a slow run race he would become bored and then give the rider nothing in the straight. Thus Roberts concocted a plan. The opposition riders duly began strangling their mounts after the jump and Roberts sent his 16-1 shot to the front. Terimon lobbed along at a comfortable pace. Roberts’ confidence built as he knew this horse was capable of sprinting and he had stayers behind him … provided Terimon went through with it of course.
Trainer Clive Brittain knew Terimon loved a long straight like Epsom and York so he also had hope up in the stands. Roberts, in typical wily fashion, kidded the opposition by getting his elbows going fourand-a-half furlongs out, but he wasn’t really riding him. When he did begin riding him in the final three furlongs the other riders soon knew they had been outfoxed. Terimon kept on finding and won by a comfortable two lengths from Quest For Fame.