By Tom Peacock
European Flat racing's leading names do not always arrive along a conventional path. Christophe Soumillon moved from Belgium to reach the summit in France, Adrie De Vries became German champion after outgrowing the scene in the Netherlands––as recognisable a Turf superpower as Equatorial Guinea––and Godolphin's jockey William Buick comes from Norway.
Another Scandinavian making marked progress around the north of Britain is the Dane Kevin Stott, based in Yorkshire with Kevin Ryan but used regularly by the likes of Saeed Bin Suroor.
The articulate 22-year-old looks well on his way to beating last year's previous best total of 39.
“It's going well. Kevin's very fair and if you work hard, you'll get the chances,” he said.
“I went to him when I first came over five years ago. I'm riding out for him every day and I've been lucky to have had some winners for a few other trainers, like Philip Kirby and Oliver Greenall.”
The Stott name would be far more familiar to regulars at Klampenborg, the leafy racecourse to the north of Copenhagen. His English father Ken was a jockey-turned trainer in the Danish capital and has handed the operation over to another son, Marc.
“My dad used to ride, he started off in Newmarket then he went all over the place, India, Africa, and he ended up in Scandinavia, where he met my mum,” he said.
“He had a good few winners, then he had taken up training when I was growing up. My brothers were riding but it wasn't something I wanted to do at first.”
If only for his size, Stott might have been playing alongside his compatriot Christian Eriksen in the Tottenham Hotspur midfield instead.
“I wanted to be a footballer,” he explained. “I had a trial at Tottenham when I was 15, but they said I was too small. I played for the best under 16s team in Copenhagen but it was one of those things. I was one of those small, skilful players and you have all those bigger lads who can kick you around at that age.
“I came back and had a good word with my dad, I said I'd like to take up the riding properly instead. He said if it was something I wanted to do, he'd send me to England. I was going to go to the British Racing School but I got a place with Kevin and I was learning so there wasn't any need to go down there in the end.”
It was in late 2014 that Stott picked up a spare ride for Bin Suroor and won a valuable apprentice handicap at Newmarket on Winter Thunder (GB). This breakthrough led to him spending the following season with Luca Cumani. Bin Suroor has kept Stott on rotation and he recently partnered the promising maiden Above Normal (GB) (Street Cry {Ire}) to a facile success at Pontefract.
“I got some rides for Charlie Appleby and Saeed was very good to me too, but as my 5lb claim went it was tough,” he said. “I struggled in Newmarket, to be honest, so I decided to return back north. I don't have family there, but it was working better.”
That family might mostly be a few hundred miles away, but there is still plenty of time to see the rest of the Stott clan, both professionally and personally.
“My older brother is in his third year training. He's got about 30 horses and I think he's finished third in the trainers' championship there. He's making a good go of things and I was riding for him quite a bit a couple of years ago,” he explained.
“The racing's alright, it's not as good as in Sweden, but a lot of the time you are going across the bridge between the two countries, as there's a dirt track at Jagersro (in Malmo). The prize-money is better in Sweden, it's basically a bit like the difference between racing around Newmarket and the racing in the north. My priority is with Kevin, but if there's a chance on a Sunday to go across, then I'll do it.
“My brother Nicolaj is riding as well. He came to England and was looking to ride for Tim Easterby but he had a problem with the BHA as he's deaf in one ear. He's going well, though, riding in Scandinavia and sometimes in Germany.”
If the support from Ryan and others keeps up, that overseas travel will be restricted for the time being.
“I'm just taking it step by step,” he said. “I'm just trying to up my winners year by year, and I think if I could get to 50 or 55 this time, I'd be very happy.
“Kevin gave me my first ride in a Group 1 last season (on Goken {Fr}) in the Haydock Sprint Cup and I rode in a couple of Group 2s and some Listed races. Hopefully there will be more opportunities like that.”
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