With more time on their hands than usual, stars of the weighing-room past and present have been reflecting on memorable equine partners over the years. Today, TED DURCAN is in the hot seat…
Who is your favourite horse?
My favourite horse is easy. I'd have to nominate Somnus (GB) (Pivotal {GB}). He was an absolute dude of a ride at the races. He was the perfect horse: he didn't pull and you could ride him wherever you were happy as long as he had soft ground. I loved riding him and he was very good to me. He won two sales races in one year as a 2-year old and. Then I broke my leg over the winter in Dubai and when I came back I smashed my wrist so I missed the whole summer, but when I came back to riding, the Easterbys and the owners kindly let me back on him. He won the Sprint Cup at Haydock beating Oasis Dream (GB) and Airwave (GB) and that was actually my first Group 1 win in England. After all the injuries and getting back to riding, I really needed a horse to pull me back up and he did that.
Best horse you've ridden?
My best horse was harder to choose and I could narrow it down to a few fillies but if I have to pick just one it would be Light Shift (Kingmambo). She won the Oaks for me, beating Peeping Fawn (Danehill), and then she got beaten in the Irish Oaks by Peeping Fawn. I think that was the first of Peeping Fawn's four Group 1 wins in a row, so to be beaten by her wasn't a disgrace. I found it hard to split Light Shift and Sahpresa (Sahm), who won the Sun Chariot and was a seriously good mare.
What are you up to while racing is off?
I've been riding out for Michael Stoute and it's been great to see all the staff in Newmarket and around the country making a really big effort to keep things going. They're so conscientious and we're lucky really to be able to get out and do that every day. I always also squeeze in a run after work and then spend the rest of the day hiding from my wife because she has a list of DIY stuff for me to do around the house. She must think I'm Bob the Builder, which I absolutely am not, so I'm spending most of my afternoons in hiding at the moment.
I'm really looking forward to getting back to the sales. This time of year the breeze-ups so important to so many people so I hope they get going sooner rather than later.
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