WHAT a month! What a jockey!
Kevin Darley, enjoying one of the most memorable periods of his entire career, pulled off a gigantic transatlantic Group One double last weekend when winning the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes at Ascot on Saturday aboard Where Or When and the E P Taylor Stakes at Woodbine in Canada on Sunday on Fraulein.
The brace of notable victories came at the end of a month which saw the former champion bag his first English Classic aboard the Tim Easterby-trained Bollin Eric in the Rothmans Royals St Leger at Doncaster
Sheriff Hutton-based Darley has now become one of only two jockeys in Britain this season - Kieren Fallon is the other - whose mounts have won more than £2m in prize money.
His QE2 success on Where Or When at Ascot enabled Darley to win this prestigious race for the second time in three years. In 2000, he steered Observatory to an unlikely victory over the admirable Giant's Causeway, and on Saturday, he again played the role of David slaying Goliath when Where Or When defeated the odds-on favourite Hawk Wing, trained - like Giant's Causeway - by Aidan O'Brien.
Trained at Epsom by Terry Mills, Where Or When was produced with a pulsating challenge inside the final two furlongs by Darley, which proved too much for Hawk Wing to handle. There were two lengths to spare between the pair at the line, with Where Or When collecting the first prize of £178,500.
"It's becoming my race, isn't it!" said a delighted Darley. "Where Or When never got the chance to use himself at Goodwood in his previous race, but this time he did - and he's got an electric turn of foot."
Darley had little time to celebrate his Ascot victory before he was on a Canada-bound flight on Saturday evening. And by Sunday evening, he was celebrating another major triumph. Making every yard of the running in the E P Taylor Stakes, he gained a pillar-to-post success on the Ed Dunlop-trained Fraulein, whose victory netted a first prize of £193,966.
"What a weekend. Unbelievable," said Darley, whose have-saddle-will-travel policy saw him turn up at lowly Hamilton on Monday - after flying overnight from Toronto to Heathrow and then on to Glasgow.
Unfortunately, the last leg of his journey proved to be in vain. Runner-up on his opening mount, he was then carted around the course by the hard-pulling Square Dancer before his mount was withdrawn from the second race.
Unsurprisingly, Darley was left feeling exhausted and gave up his remaining two mounts before heading back to Ryedale, tired but elated after a weekend to remember.
Updated: 09:49 Wednesday, October 02, 2002
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereComments are closed on this article