The HORSE LISTENER
Trainer Iain Jardine sets his sights on Melbourne but keeps focus at home
farming stock and loved riding horses immediately, he is dismissive about his strength of will or bravery in his profession of jockey that demanded both. ‘It was either riding or being a rugby player,’ he says. ‘And I didn’t fancy running into those 6ft-plus guys.’
His ambitions are both realistic and limitless. ‘I would like to win an Ayr Gold Cup,’ he adds. ‘I could see me having a horse to do that. It would be daft to say I would like to win the Derby or the Arc when the chances of having that sort of horse are not on at the moment.’
But what about over jumps where he earned his bumps, bruises and learned the tough truths about racehorses?
‘A Champion Hurdle would be nice but I have doubts about the future of jump racing. I think it could be finished within 15-20 years,’ he says.
He cites the reasons for this the daft economics of National Hunt where good prospects cost big money and earn relatively small sums and, secondly, the campaigns on health and safety that may impact heavily on the sport.
All this, of course, is in a distant future and he departs for a further round of horses before returning home to his partner Val, a huge part of the operation, and his 18-month-old daughter Jenny.
He leaves with a summation of the drives, demands and satisfaction of the job he has chosen. ‘You are only here once and you have to make something of your life,’ he adds. The motivation? ‘Probably winners. That’s what you are looking for. That’s what you are chasing.
‘A new horse excites you. You immediately think: “What I am going to do with this? I want to take this to a big race one day so how can I do that?”.’
This is what he has done with so many. The focus will soon be on Nakeeta and the Melbourne Cup. ‘The farthest I have ever been is Spain for a holiday,’ he says, smiling before his eyes alight on a horse and work rider and another order is given quietly.
The philosophy is for horse and employee to have fun. The business is to succeed. The other side of the world seems a reasonable trip for a trainer who is prepared to go to the ends of the Earth for a winner.