A Roaring Lion: Former Jockey Alan Rutter Talks Racing & Riding Out for John Gosden

A big thank you to former flat jockey Alan Rutter who has kindly agreed to answer some questions about his life in horse racing and riding out for the brilliant John Gosden. 

Alan, have you always been involved with horse racing? 

I have always been involved in horse racing, being born and bred in Newmarket you are never too far away from a horse, and most of the people who live here, know or have somebody connected to the industry. 

At What age did you decide to become a jockey and why? 

I probably decided to be a jockey aged about 15, I played football to a reasonable standard, but played and was turned down by the county, because they said I was too small, so I thought what do small people do...ride horses!!!! Unfortunately, I grew. So basically I was too small for 1 and too big for the other. 

As an apprentice you had a nice few winners, did you have a favourite? 

I was lucky enough to win on the horse called Street Life who was a particular favourite of mine, and a real yard pet. Took great pleasure from winning on a useful horse called High Treason twice, a big galloping type who really enjoyed Newbury. 

What was it like riding for legendary trainer Willie Musson? 

Riding for Willie Musson, was fun, and he was a very fair trainer, he had quite a few apprentices at the time, so we all knew that if we worked hard and listened we would get rides. I was under no illusion that even though I may have ridden a horse a few times if Pat Eddery or Kieren Fallon wanted to ride they would take over. 

Did you find it tough being a jockey or were you living the dream? 

Of course, being a jockey is tough, if you are not a natural lightweight, or you cannot pick up rides, you can easily get disheartened, It’s a game that will either make you or break you. I loved every minute of it while I was riding and I looked at it, that I was living out my dream and working with my idols. 

I noticed that you do a bit of work riding out for another legendary trainer John Gosden, how did that come about? 

I have always had a connection with the stable, as I’m the 3rd generation of my family to work for John Gosden, I basically wanted to get well-paid, ride good horses!!!! And that’s exactly what you get at Clarehaven, we are lucky to have such nice horses and are always competitive on race days. 

I know this is a difficult question but which horse is the best you have ridden? 

The best horse I have ridden would be Enable, but I couldn’t have told you that from the handful of times I sat on her. The horse I spent the most time riding was Roaring Lion. I  rode him through his 2yo career. A fantastic horse, smooth traveller, gutsy, classy had a swagger. For me, he had it all.  It’s a pity that he is no longer with us and just hope the mares he covered to produce a horse like him. 

If you could name a John Gosden dark horse for the future who would it be? 

As for picking a dark horse, this isn’t that easy as we have so many unraced maidens and normally a good one hides away. A horse that I’m quite fond of is a Kingman colt called King Leonidas probably one for 1-mile maidens, but he is likeable and more than capable of winning a maiden. 

The final question is what advice would you give to my readers who would like to get into the racing game? 

I would say to anybody wanting to get in to racing, that it is a fantastic industry, not always easy at times, the weather, the pay and other things can make you sometimes question why do you do it, but you can travel the world, be around nice horses, experience what it’s like to win, or just like looking after your horses, it’s certainly an industry that has a little bit of everything. 

Thank you for your time, Alan, it's been a pleasure hearing about your great memories.

Enable Versus Galileo (Battle of the Champions)

Enable versus Galileo (Battle of the Champions) Just imagine a mouthwatering racing clash between two champions of past and the present racing world, battling to the line giving every ounce of sweat to be crowned one of the best middle distance runners of our time. 

This would be like a clash between former boxing world champion Mohammed Ali and current heavyweight world champion Anthony Joshua going head-to-head, toe to toe in the ring to determine who is the real champ, yes we can only dream I know. In this week's battle of the Champions, I will be taking a look at the statistics of the two great champions of our era, one filly and one colt who raced the best and beat the best, but who would win in a dream clash between the two? 

You decide. 

Galileo was born in 1998, out of the brilliant sire Saddles Wells, and bought by Susan Magnier and Michael Tabour before being sent to Aidan O’Brien who described him as one of the most impeccably bred horses in training, he enjoyed a brief but glittering racing career which lasted only a year but what a year it was. 

He only raced once as a 2-year-old, sent off favourite for his debut in a one-mile race at Leopardstown in October 2000, he demolished the other fifteen runners by fourteen lengths in a time of 1.48.20. 

As a 3-year-old Galileo ran over the twelve-furlong distance three times and winning on each occasion. First was the Epsom Derby where he started 11/4 joint-favourite and won by three and a half lengths with Golan taking second place while recording a time of 2.33.27.It wasn’t long before he added another victory to what was becoming an already impressive career, when he won the Irish Derby in a time of 2.27.10, and next up was Britain's most prestigious open age flat race the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Ascot, starting off odds on favourite he had an almighty battle with Fantastic light before pulling away in the final furlong and winning by two lengths in an impressive time of 2.27.01, which was at the time the fastest time for sixteen years. 

Galileo was named European Champion three-year-old at the Cartier Racing Awards and given final Timeform rating of 134 in what was phenomenal racing career and went on to become one of the most successful sires of all time. 

Enable was born in 2014 out of another great sire Nathaniel and homebred by her owner Khalid Bin Abdullah at Juddmonte farm, then sent to one of the best trainers in the business John Gosden, unlike Galileo her career is still in its prime. Enable also raced once as a 2-year-old, and her debut was a mile Maiden Stakes race at Newcastle where she was sent off 7/2 and won by just under 4-lengths going away in a time of 138.52. Her three-year-old career started with a third in a conditions race staying on well in the closing stages, it seemed the trip was too short, and she would improve when she was given a better stamina test, her next race was the Cheshire Oaks, and she stepped up in distance to eleven and a half furlongs and stayed on to win by one and three-quarter lengths, and as they say the rest is history, still unbeaten to this day with a number of Group ones to her name. 

The Epsom Oaks was her first time running a twelve furlong race and it wasn't to be a problem as she trounced the odds on favourite Rhododendron by five lengths in a time of 2.34.13 and making her the most feared horse over this distance. The Irish Oaks was next, starting the odds on favourite herself this time and she duly obliged by five and a half lengths in a time of 2.32.13, after the race Frankie Dettori said, “Enable is a very special filly” and how true he was. 

It was time to take on the big boys in the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Ascot, and she smashed them to bits with an emphatic display winning by four and a half lengths in a time of 2.36.22. 

In 2017, she was named Champion three-year-old filly at the Cartier Racing Awards and again in 2018 she was also awarded the Cartier Champion Older Horse. At present, she has a Timeform rating of 134. 

Conclusion: Reading about these two great horses gave me goosebumps, and I just wish Galileo would have raced on, and we could have seen more of him but it wasn't to be. Ending his career with a Timeform rating of 134 shows just how good he was, and then we have Enable who has only been beaten once in her career, but travelled the world and beat the best and also has a Timeform rating of 134.

If these two superstars of the racing world would have met as three-year-olds my verdict would have been a win for Galileo but only just, the fact that he posted two quicker times than Enable over the 12-furlong distance is the only thing that I can separate these two warriors of the racing game. Thanks for reading and would love to hear your verdict on who would win.

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