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By Ponderosa8 · Posted
Q & A with Steve Jenkins Paul Richards@richowp 1:01pm A A A Steven Jenkins. (Image: Supplied) Paul Richards catches up with former top jumps hoop Steve Jenkins. PR: Steven, we just had the Grand National Steeple, a race you won on Somoy (1982) and Believable (1991). SJ: I did. He was a very good chaser, Somoy. I was unlucky not to ride him when he won in 1979 as well. I hurt my collarbone a few weeks before and his trainer, Kevin Thomson, didn’t think I was fit enough to ride him, so he put Rodney Heaslip on instead. As it turned out, I rode in New Zealand on the same day, so I would have been okay to ride. I believe Somoy came from a long way back to win in 1982. Yeah, we gave Elanora Girl a big start, but we ran her down late. Did you always think you could get her? When we were jumping the abattoirs treble (1400m mark) for the final time she started to flick her tail a bit. She was a long way in front of us, but I knew then we were going to be a chance to run her down. You were a very successful rider in New Zealand. When did you move to Australia permanently? I lived in Australia when I was a kid. My dad Ray was riding for Theo Howe for a few years, then we went back to New Zealand when I was about 11. I didn’t move to Australia permanently until the early 1990s. I used to ride a lot for Kevin “Dummy” Myers and in those days we’d just come over for the big races. We were racing for very similar stakemoney in New Zealand to Australia then, so we didn’t need to. It wasn’t until later on that we could see the writing on the wall in New Zealand, so we came across. Sadly, it has got worse. That’s why you have guys like Mark Walker and Trent Busuttin training here. If the money was good in New Zealand, they’d still be there. Your dad was a top rider as well. Did you ever ride against him? He was. He won an Australian Hurdle on Ramlegh (1971) as well as a lot of good races in New Zealand. We rode against each other a lot when I was starting out. How was that experience? Well, he was out there to win and so was I. He didn’t give an inch and neither did I. He protested against me once, which was quite funny. The chief steward asked if he was sure he wanted to protest against his son. He said, “He cut me off coming to the last, of course I am.” Did you keep the race? Yeah, I hung on to it. Did he teach you how to ride? Well, it was probably like you and everyone else. If your dad tells you how to do something it’s “Yeah, yeah, what would you know?” but if it’s someone up the road telling you exactly the same thing, you listen. Your grandfather Ashley was also a good rider, I believe. Did he ever see you win? He did. One of my first wins was on a horse he trained. Sadly, he died before I won some of the bigger races. Did you ever ride on the flat? I did. I was an apprentice in the same era as Brent Thomson and Bob Vance. I managed to outride my claim, but I was 55kg. In those days, the minimum was 47kg and the horses with 55kg were the heavyweights. If I came to Australia back then, I’d have been competing with guys like Roy Higgins for a ride. I started to ride over the jumps instead. It was a lot different then. The guys riding over the jumps had a lot of experience on the flat. I rode against Brett McDonald, who is James’s father, and he was a top flat rider as well. Nick Harnett was also around then. He’d ride over the fences, then pick up a ride in the main weight-for-age race on the same day. I don’t see that same education among the jumps riders these days. Most of them are Irish anyway. You won the Great Northern Steeple on Guess Who (1980) and the NZ Grand National Steeple on Royal Ridge (1993). What was the bigger race in New Zealand? Well, the Grand National was like the Melbourne Cup, while the Great Northern was more like the Cox Plate. There was a lot more prestige in winning the Great Northern. It was run at Ellerslie, and you’d go up and down the famous hill three times. It was the race we all wanted to win. Unfortunately, they don’t run over the hill anymore. That part of the track has been sold for housing. Very disappointing. In 1984 you came to Australia and won the Great Eastern Steeple on Headford Town. It was fantastic. I couldn’t believe how big the crowd was. Grant Ace (fellow jockey) warned me that it was big, but it was nothing like I’d ever seen before. There were 68,000 there and they were just everywhere. Headford Town was a very good stayer. On the first lap I’m not sure he’d ever been so far off a leader, but with one round to go, he’d probably never been as close to one that far out. He just picked up ground the further we went. By the end of the 4950m he was going away from them. It was a massive thrill. At Warrnambool in the Grand Annual you went down as favourite at the second jump. There were pictures in the papers here of you remounting. He wasn’t the best jumper, Headford Town. He was a great stayer but not necessarily a great jumper. You had your heart in your mouth at Flemington — the fences were a lot harder if you hit one. At Warrnambool he jumped the second badly and we went down. There was still 5000m to go, so I remounted — you could get back on in those days. I pulled him up after a lap though as he wasn’t right. You’d get suspended for three months if you did that these days. In 1987 you won the Grand Annual and the Great Eastern on Spring Fortune. He probably would have won the Grand National as well, but he did a tendon just before it. He wasn’t very big but he was a very economical jumper. When he won at Oakbank, he ducked in and hit the running rail with a lap to go — he smashed my stirrup. I ended up putting my foot through the leather strap instead. It meant I was a bit unbalanced for the last lap. If he wasn’t such a good jumper, I would have pulled him up. What about your second Grand National win, on Believable in 1991? Were you confident? I’d won the Australian Steeple on him, so he was in good form. He was a safe jumper, which is what you needed at Flemington. He never pulled, but he did need a lot of riding to get him to the line. I used to get told off for using the stick on him when he was in front, but he’d have stopped to a walk if I didn’t. What was it like winning the Grand National? It was brilliant. It wasn’t like these days, where it’s hidden away on a Sunday. It was a very big deal and there were good crowds at Flemington back then. It was the (jumps) race to win in Australia. You represented Australia in the infamous steeplechase at Sandown in 1992 when the Irish jockey Charlie Swan on King Taros kept going in a straight line when he had the race won, rather than steering through the gap on to the course proper. I remember when he did it, thinking, “That’s one less I have to pass.” We finished up second. I represented Australia, New Zealand and the USA in jumps series. Not bad for a Kiwi. You rode against some top riders. Oh, yes, guys like Jamie Evans, Mick Patton, Paul Worthington, Brian Constable, Laurie Paltridge, Butch Londregan. None of them gave an inch. Good luck trying to get up on their inside in a race. One day, Nick Harnett tightened me up and the stewards hauled him in for a chat. Pat Lalor (chief steward) called me in as well. I tried to do the right thing by Nick and said “No, there wasn’t much in it. I had my chance.” After the hearing Lalor called me aside, “Mr Jenkins, a word of advice. Here in Melbourne black is black and white is white.” I got the point. I wasn’t as helpful in the future. Your last ride was at Mornington in February 1994, on Ganador. What happened? I came off at the last jump and had a harmless fall, but then another horse ran straight over the top of me. I dislocated my shoulder, and it made a mess of all the ligaments as well. It never came right, and the doctor wouldn’t let me ride again. I was only 35, and while I’m not saying I would have ridden for another 20 years, I’m sure I still had a few good years left in me. The year before I was only one behind Jamie Evans on the riding premiership. I’d had a great season. How did you cope not riding? I hated it. I still do to this day. I wished I was out there last Sunday. What did you do once you were forced to retire? I couldn’t do anything. My rehab lasted about five years. When I found I couldn’t ride again, I decided to buy an agistment farm at Mornington. I’m still running it almost 30 years later. Any good horses stay there? I just have up to seven at a time, mainly from local trainers. They’re all good payers. Some of the big stables tend to wait the full 90 days, so I stick with the reliable ones that I’ve known for years. What does running an agistment farm involve? I feed them every day, rug them at night and keep a close eye on them to make sure there are no issues. It’s great, I love it. And you still follow the racing? Yes, I still have a look at the jumps when I can, as well as the other big races. -
By Harry Newshound · Posted
Motorious showed his affinity for the Del Mar Racing turf course when closing late to win his second consecutive $152,500 Green Flash Handicap (G3T) Aug. 31, part of the Breeders' Cup Challenge Series.View the full article -
By Harry Newshound · Posted
Calumet Farm's Mixto posted a 22-1 upset in the $1 million Pacific Classic Stakes (G1) Aug. 31 at Del Mar, earning a fees-paid berth to the Breeders Cup Classic (G1) Nov. 2 at the same track.View the full article -
By Harry Newshound · Posted
Quite the Catch rallied determinedly to win the $75,000 Louisiana Cup Juvenile Fillies Stakes by a neck Aug. 31 at Louisiana Downs and give Red River Farms' stallion Requite his first stakes winner.View the full article -
By Harry Newshound · Posted
The aptly named Conclude closed out the final race of Pacific Classic Day with a victory, taking the $302,500 Del Mar Mile Stakes (G2T) and giving trainer Phil D'Amato a sweep of the three graded races on turf at Del Mar Aug. 31. View the full article -
How's your bum feeling so far? Plenty of teeth marks l suspect 🤣 -
Exactly. Why don’t they survey what the punters want. Then there won’t be any dispute as that’s what we voted for. People who bet on Morphetville can change to TS 2. The whole 3 of them. Probably Gruff and two others. The Ozi system works well. If you want to bet on Warrenmang you change channel. There I’ve fixed it. -
By Harry Newshound · Posted
Pursuing Quietside after the latter opened up on the field on the turn, Immersive closed to catch that rival in the final sixteenth and win the Spinaway Stakes (G1) at Saratoga Race Course.View the full article -
By Harry Newshound · Posted
Bellum Justum proved best in the $2,337,160 Nashville Derby Invitational (G3T) at Kentucky Downs Aug. 31, opening the door for further European competition at the lucrative turf meet.View the full article -
By Harry Newshound · Posted
Little Red Feather has owned five of the last seven winners of the race, while trainer Phil D'Amato was winning his ninth in the past 11 runnings.View the full article -
By Harry Newshound · Posted
Still ahead by four lengths in midstretch, Klaravich Stables' Idea Generation held off a late charge by favored War Like Goddess to take the Flower Bowl by 1 1/2 lengths Aug. 31 at Saratoga Race Course for her initial stakes win.View the full article -
By Harry Newshound · Posted
At Kentucky Downs Aug. 31, Twirling Candy provided further evidence of his credentials as a turf sire. Two of his progeny, Ag Bullet and Walkathon, won graded stakes, earning more than $1.7 million in combined winnings.View the full article -
By Harry Newshound · Posted
Just more than a month after becoming the first winner for freshman sire Imperial Hint, Tdz Hint of Power also became the multiple grade 1 winner's first stakes winner in the $75,000 Louisiana Cup Juvenile Stakes at Louisiana Downs Aug. 31.View the full article -
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By scooby3051 · Posted
sounds like a whole heap of trouble...good trouble that is LOL. -
Well you could start a few new threads and see where that take the site and its contributors? -
Al, thanks, Seddon carried me through the early rounds, hats off to him, had been on a big nosedive of late, last 2 weeks a bit better. -
By Harry Newshound · Posted
Brightwork's 2024 debut was delayed after she slipped and fell in the paddock before the Aug. 3 Test Stakes (G1), but she made a triumphant return Aug. 31 in the $200,000 Prioress Stakes (G3) at Saratoga Race Course.View the full article -
By Harry Newshound · Posted
In the Aug. 31 Toronto Cup at Woodbine, Chiefswood Stables' homebred Piper's Factor defeated favored Swift Delivery, a 3-year-old owned in part by Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce via the Team Valor International partnership.View the full article -
By Harry Newshound · Posted
Bellum Justum proved best in the $2,337,160 Nashville Derby (G3T) at Kentucky Downs Aug. 31, opening the door for further European competition at the lucrative turf meet.View the full article
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