NO CROWDS, BUT DAVID’S HAPPY TO BE BACK ON TRACK
EMPTY stands, next to no atmosphere, success met with almost total silence.
Life in the new sporting normal is very different.
The players of Cardiff City and Swansea City will discover just how different when they resume their Championship campaigns on Saturday.
But for David Probert, one of Wales’ most successful professional sportsmen, this is the new life he has been immersed in for the past fortnight.
Probert, who hails from Bargoed, is one of the top flat jockeys in the UK. And when he rode at Kempton on June 2, he broke new ground as the first Welshman to take part in a British sporting fixture since the lockdown restrictions were eased.
He came back with a bang, partnering Hold Fast to a half-length success in a race televised live by Racing TV but watched by just a smattering of people on course.
Neither did the 30-year-old get the chance to properly celebrate the milestone of reaching 1,000 career wins in Britain – a not insignificant achievement – as he steered 7-1 shot Tronada to victory at Lingfield last week.
No celebratory embraces from winning connections, no handshakes from colleagues. Not even a kind word from the horse’s owner, with the people who ultimately pay the bills not yet allowed to attend race meetings.
It is a strange, yet necessary, state of affairs with the country still in the grip of the coronavirus pandemic which closed down most of society, never mind the sporting world.
And it is even more surreal this week. Not only will top-level football return without spectators, but Royal Ascot also takes place behind
Welsh jockey David Probert. closed doors. Not a top hat in sight, never mind the Queen.
So how is Probert coming to terms with the new way of doing things?
A NEW EXISTENCE
Like everyone who attends race meetings, Probert is tested for Covid-19 regularly.
Social distancing is applied in the paddock, while saunas – a key weapon in a jockey’s armoury in the constant battle against the scales – are no-go areas. Likewise, showers are out of bounds.
On top of that, face masks are worn during races.
“It was strange coming to terms with a different regime,” he says. “Now we get tested at the course, one-way systems have been put in place and the weighing rooms have been moved to the stands.
“I’ve worn masks on some allweather tracks before because of the kickback.
“They can get irritating when it’s warm, but everyone is in the same boat and you have to abide by the rules.
“We are slowly getting used to it and every racecourse has done an amazing job in keeping us separate.
“Hopefully we’ll get back to some kind of normality soon, and there are signs that the situation is improving.”
A MAJOR MILESTONE
Notching up 1,000 winners is no small matter for a jockey.
For Probert it is part of a journey that began with his first ride in public in 2006, his first winner a year later and then sharing the champion apprentice title with William Buick in 2008.
Classic glory has so far eluded him – he came closest when riding Tip Two Win into second in the 2000 Guineas in 2018 - but there have been a host of career highlights which include riding more than 100 winners in a year on three separate occasions.
“It’s been a crazy few months, but it was great to come back and reach the milestone,” he adds.
“There was a mixture of joy and relief. I’ve had a great start since we came back and a lot of support from stables and it helps when you’re on the right horses.
“I still remember my first winner at Wolverhampton in 2007 on Mountain Pass for Bernard Llewellyn. If you’d told me back then I’d ride a thousand winners I’d have laughed at you.
“I had one of my best years in 2019 with 112 winners and before lockdown my agent Neil Allan told me we were getting close.
“It’s a big milestone.
“I’ve had plenty of support from a lot of different trainers and I can’t
David Probert lands his 1,000th winner in Britain as he partners Tronada to win the Betway Heed Your Hunch Handicap at Lingfield.
thank them enough. I still haven’t found the one horse who can take me to Group 1 or Classic level, but you never know what might turn up.”
A SURREAL ROYAL MEETING
Royal Ascot is one of the highlights of the British sporting summer. Even those who have no interest in racing may cast a glance towards Berkshire as fashion shares the spotlight with thoroughbreds.
Last year around 300,000 people were in attendance across its five days.
This week more than £3.5 million in prize money is on the table. But attendance is limited to just a few hundred people, including jockeys, trainers and course officials who ensure the meeting runs smoothly.
“It is going to be a very strange experience at Royal Ascot, which is renowned for its large crowds,” adds Probert.
“It’s the Olympics of our sport and for it to be taking place in a ghost town is strange.
“We can usually hear the roar of the crowd from half-a-mile out, but there won’t be any of that this year.
“But it’s still going to be highquality racing and the best horses in the world will still be there.
“It’ll be broadcast by ITV so people will still be able to see what’s happening.”