A month into my working trip to the UK, where I’m based at the Lambourn training centre in rural Berkshire,Gavin Lerena has been finding it an eye-opening voyage of discovery with a huge difference from the day-to-day routine of my native South Africa.
I’ve charted an ambitious course that is taking me to many racecourses and private stables, making each day different. And as I travel to all corners of England in search of winners, it is proving to be a vivid contrast to my working life out of metropolitan Johannesburg.
When I landed in London it rained, with trainers welcoming the precipitation that followed an unusually dry spring. The wet stuff has since followed me wherever I’ve gone. I’ve been riding on the soft, which is completely different to South Africa. Last week I drove from my home base about two hours to Leicester for one ride and then on to Windsor through driving rain for another. Two hours later I reached the course only to be told by the trainer of the favourite I was due to ride it had been scratched because of the change in the going!
I cannot complain but simply plug away and try to ride work for as many trainers as I can, although the practicality of that is not at all straightforward.
Apart from riding work for Charlie Hills, with whom I’m based, I’ve been to Newmarket a couple of times as well as getting to most of the bigger Lambourn trainers. However, their stables are quite far apart, meaning on a single morning it’s difficult to ride work for more than one trainer. This is completely different to South Africa, where at Randjiesfontein, I can ride work for five or six trainers and sit on 20 horses.
I’ve visited Richard Hannon at his East Everleigh Stables, Amanda Perrett in West Sussex, Mick Channon at West Ilsley, Paul Cole at Whatcombe and Brian Meehan at Manton. In Newmarket I’ve ridden work for Michael Bell and George Scott.
The scenery is breathtaking and the variety of gallops just amazing. It’s been a pleasure to learn about the history behind the various yards in the Lambourn Valley and the great horses trained there over the years.
New to me is the way the UK trainers orchestrate the gallops on their work mornings. They have a plan and the riders in the gallop do so to order. It’s important that the riders in the gallop get it right.Touch wood, so far I have managed to adjust.
The horses here are super-fit and I’ve ridden some big prospects on the gallops. Now I need to get on them on the race track!
To date I’ve ridden in races at the Newmarket Rowley course, where I had my first winner for Amanda Perrett, Bath, Brighton, Yarmouth, Goodwood, Leicester, Lingfield, Doncaster and Kempton.
The contrast is huge as you go from course to course and see amazing uphills and downhills, taking left turns and then right.
The racing is the best in the world, but the day-to-day stake money doesn’t compare favourably to South Africa.
The cottage Vikki, Ashton and I are living in has a certain amount of English charm but is isolated. When we look out we see bushes, trees and green fields stretching as far as the eye can see. The country cottage, opposite the Sheikh Hamdan-owned Kingwood Stud on the edge of Lambourn, is in in total contrast to my home in Johannesburg.
I’d like to thank the Hills family, my sponsors, Chelsea Thoroughbreds – in particular James Ramsden, Richard Morecombe – and Neil Morrice. They have been so welcoming.
Travel time to and from races is another major difference. In Joburg it’s 20 minutes to Turffontein and 50 minutes to the Vaal. Here a jockey drives on daily five-hour round trips. I brought my golf clubs but haven’t had time for a single putt. Let’s put it this way, if a trainer asks me to go to race at Flamingo Park, I will now do that – with a smile on my face!
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