Gordon's Tonic in Freelance Venture
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MONDAY, 25 MARCH 2019 GORDON'S TONIC IN SCAT DADDY COLT DELIVERS WINNING NUMBER AT CHUKYO by Heather Anderson FREELANCE VENTURE Green Fields= Mr Melody (Scat Daddy) was testing Group 1 waters for only the second time in Chukyo=s Takamatsunomiya Kinen, and came through with a half-length victory over Seiun Kosei (Jpn) (Admire Moon {Jpn}) in the 1200-metre feature. The dark bay raced in between horses just behind the first flight in fourth and saved ground entering the lone turn. In tight quarters, the 6-1 third choice shifted out a path and edged toward the front inside the final 300 metres, before grinding past a stubborn Seiun Kosei to his outside and holding off the belated rally of Shonan Anthem (Jpn) (Jungle Pocket {Jpn}) up the inside. Seiun Kosei was a head to the good of the latter, with favoured Danon Smash (Jpn) (Lord Kanaloa {Jpn}) another half- length away in fourth. AHe was in good form and I was able to race him as planned,@ Josephine Gordon | Racing Post said reinsman Yuichi Fukunaga. Cont. p10 by Emma Berry IN TDN AMERICA TODAY Two years ago, Josephine Gordon left her Lambourn base to SANTA ANITA: ENTRIES TAKEN, BUT QUESTIONS REMAIN move to Newmarket to take up an enticing job in the fast-rising Entries were taken for Santa Anita Park Sunday morning, as the stable of Hugo Palmer. track is schedule to resume racing on Mar. 29. However, questions The reigning champion apprentice at that time, with two remain. Click or tap here to go straight to TDN America. Lesters to her name in 2016, she hit the ground running in British racing's unofficial HQ, following Hayley Turner in becoming only the second woman to ride more than 100 winners in a year. Gordon's tally by the end of 2017 was 106, but last year she rode 50 fewer winners during a season interrupted in high summer by a hand injury incurred in the starting stalls. In many ways, this year will be take two for the jockey who cut her teeth pony racing in Devon. She's out on her own now since announcing in February that she will ride as a freelance, and as her new home town shrugs off the last vestiges of winter and prepares for the turf season to burst into life, she too is looking ahead to a bright new dawn. "My last five months with Stan Moore I was pretty much freelancing anyway, spending three days up here and the rest in Lambourn, and I think that was when things were at their best and really happening," says Gordon between finishing a morning's riding out before heading to Lingfield. "I have to start over again in that respect and make some new connections and renew old connections, but hopefully this will be the right decision." Cont p2 TDN EUROPE • PAGE 2 OF 11 • THETDN.COM MONDAY • 25 MARCH 2019 Gordon=s Tonic in Freelance Venture Cont. from p1 really well with group winners, listed winners." If the 25-year-old has a more reserved nature than some of She adds, "When I broke my hand I wasn't overly worried, I the other women who have made their names in the saddle in thought it would only be four or five weeks off, but you soon get recent years, her talent speaks for itself, even if she finds herself forgotten about. I don't want to use that as an excuse but I really enduring a quieter spell in recent months. Like many jockeys, struggled to get going again. I was getting rides before I broke male or female, she has my hand and I'm not so much experienced enough of the now. So something had to tougher times to ensure that change and I'm back working a when the high days come lot harder again. around again, as they surely will, "I feel for Bryony [Frost]. She those moments will bring had her big winner at the sustenance with the joy. She did, Cheltenham Festival and now after all, wait 18 months she's broken her collarbone. It between her first and second just shows that we don't know wins as an apprentice, before what's around the corner." the rollercoaster started to During the winter, Gordon has crank its way up in 2015. been riding out for various "When things are going well trainers in Newmarket, including it's brilliant and you're busy, but Ed Dunlop and Gay Kelleway, as the game itself is so up and well as putting her skills to use in down and it can change just like a parallel field by helping fellow that," she reflects. "It all seemed Gordon riding breeze-ups for John Egan (right) | Emma Berry jockey John Egan prepare his to happen so fast. I loved it but it select team of juveniles for the happened fast and then the first year and a half at Hugo's went forthcoming breeze-up sales. Cont. p3 TDN EUROPE • PAGE 3 OF 11 • THETDN.COM MONDAY • 25 MARCH 2019 Gordon=s Tonic in Freelance Venture Cont. She says, "At the moment I'm riding out for anyone I can really and I'm getting some extra experience riding the breeze-up horses. I've only ever had experience with the breeze-ups when I was with Jo Hughes and it was one horse that I had broken in and done everything with myself, but this has been really fun Vice President, International Operations Gary King this winter as it's a different aspect. It's exciting seeing them Twitter: @garykingTDN change and progress. I've just been away for a week and I've [email protected] seen a difference in them even in that short time." + 1.732.320.0975 She continues, "Riding the babies, you're still learning every day, and every trainer does it differently. When you get into a International Editor routine riding for certain trainers you know how they like their Kelsey Riley horses to be ridden, so I'm learning all that again. There are Twitter: @kelseynrileyTDN advantages and disadvantages to being freelance but having the [email protected] freedom to ride for different people is interesting." European Editor The increasing success of female members of the Emma Berry weighing-room, in which Gordon has played a significant part, Twitter: @collingsberry not least in being the first woman to ride and win for Godolphin, [email protected] means that for the next wave of jockeys acceptance will be granted, as long as talent is evident. Associate International Editor "There are loads of girls coming through now, on the flat and Heather Anderson over jumps, so much so that it's not even really a big thing any Twitter: @HLAndersonTDN more. I certainly don't feel there's a barrier being female," notes Marketing Manager Gordon. "I think Hollie Doyle has improved a ton, I think she's Alayna Cullen very good. We sat down and talked when she was thinking Twitter: @AlaynaCullen about moving to Archie Watson's. It was the same for me when I [email protected] left Stan, I didn't know what was the best thing to do. It's not like an office job which you could be in for 10 years. In racing Contributing Editor you could be out of a job in six months." Alan Carasso She's clearly enjoying spending part of each morning riding out Twitter: @EquinealTDN alongside Egan, one of the more senior jockeys on the circuit, Cafe Racing and has sought advice from her other riding colleagues. Sean Cronin Cont. p4 Tom Frary [email protected] Irish Correspondent Daithi Harvey Regular Columnists Chris McGrath | Andrew Caulfield John Berry | Kevin Blake IN TDN AUS/NZ TODAY CHAIRMAN’S CATALOGUE OUT, SALE REVAMPED The Inglis Chairman’s Sale has been revamped and its catalogue is now available. Click or tap here to go straight to TDN Trainer Saeed bin Suroor & Josephine Gordon | Racing Post Aus/NZ. TDN EUROPE • PAGE 4 OF 11 • THETDN.COM MONDAY • 25 MARCH 2019 Gordon=s Tonic in Freelance Venture Cont. "We have a great laugh," she admits. "I've really been enjoying riding John's horses. When I thought about going freelance I talked to a lot of the other jockeys to see what they thought. They've been there and done that, the older jockeys, and some of the girls ask me for advice now, which I hope will continue to happen." A stop-start winter, which included breaks for equine flu and, to a degree, a short spell of boycotts of Arena Racing tracks by owners and trainers, has been a challenge for a number of jockeys, Gordon included. Now she has her sights set on returning to the heights of 2017, which saw her win a brace of Group 3 victories for Palmer and notch success in a listed race for Saeed bin Suroor. Galileo | Coolmore "It's exciting to see what will happen," she says. "I'm working extra hard this year to try to change things and there's always a The question is, at what point does the market become so buzz when you know you're about to be riding on the turf. I've saturated that we sit back and ignore Group 1-producing Classic just bought a house here. Newmarket is very different to winners, wondering if Galileo is going to become the sire of sires Lambourn but I do like it here and I finally feel at home now.