Picture: Michael Roberts named the great Mtoto as the best horse he ever rode and said, if forced to answer a difficult question, Mtoto would also be the horse he most loved. (sportshorse-data.com)
South Africa’s only hall of fame jockey Michael “Muis” Roberts turned 70 yesterday (May 17) and the legend took some time out to answer some quick questions from Turf Talk.
Roberts was an eleven-time SA champion jockey and in 1992 became only the sixth non-British or Irish jockey to land the UK Flat Racing Jockeys’ Championship, having ridden 206 wins during the season.
Best horse ridden? Mtoto
Best South African horse ridden? Sledgehammer.
Best three-year-old ridden? Barathea.
Best SA three-year-old ridden? Sledgehammer
Best two-year-old ridden? Lyric Fantasy.
Best SA two-year-old ridden? Sledgehammer.
Most loved horse? If I had to say it would probably be Mtoto.
Best racecourse? Newbury
Best SA racecourse? I have always had a soft spot for Scottsville because I rode my first winner there.
Best trainer you rode for? I was fortunate to ride for many great trainers.
Best trainer competed against as a trainer? I am not scared of any of them!
Best jockey you competed against? Lester Piggott.
Best SA jockey you competed against? Johnny McCreedy
Jockey you would most want on your horse today? Lester Piggott and out of the active jockeys Piere Strydom!
Your favourite race to ride in? Any Group 1 race is special.
Owner you most liked riding for? It was always an hounour to ride for Her Majesty. However, my favourite owner was The Dowager Lady Beaverbrook (Marcia Anastasia Christoforides). She was a real character. She used to call all the jockeys Mister, like Mr Roberts and used to wave her stick at us. I recall once she had two horses in a race and when Walter Swinburn came into the parade ring he said to her, “We’ve got pole position today My Lady, that should help”. She said later to the trainer Clive Brittain, “I don’t want that Walter Swinburn on my horses anymore, he thinks he is riding motor cars.” (!)
SA Owner you most liked riding for? Cryril Hurwitz.
Most memorable moment as a jockey? Meeting the Queen, winning the British championship and winning the Japan Cup is also right up there.
Most memorable moment as a jockey in SA? Winning the July.
Most memorable moment as a trainer? Winning my first Group 1 with See It Again (Splashout Cape Derby).
Best training centre? Newmarket in England
Who gave you the best advice for your jockeyship? Herman Brown and Fred Rickaby.
Who gave you the best advice for training? Advice-wise, I learnt a lot from an old trainer in England called Geoff Wragg (who trained out of Abington Place in Newmarket and won the Derby among other big races). We used to go racing together a lot and talk about training and every aspect of it and about every aspect of racing.
What is the way forward for SA racing? Put the right people with the right qualifications in the right positions.
