AS soon as we walked into the stalls in Sandown, Equally Fast started to panic.
It was only the two-year-olds third run and with the gates closed behind and in front, he bent down and tried to squeeze out underneath the starting gates.
The horse was second favourite and well fancied but our chances faded fast as he struggled in the stalls.
It is a very uncomfortable feeling for a jockey and it can also be a very scary one - boxed in all sides with a powerful horse that has started to panic and is rearing up.
Thankfully, the stall handlers were on hand to open the gates and lead him out.
You can sometimes forget about these guys until something happens but they are another example of the unsung heroes who keep the racing machine ticking along week to week and provide much-needed assistance when required -like they did for me in Sandown.
It was a disappointing outcome not to get the run because we had a real chance.
Of the flat horses I've rode this season Equally Fast is one that I like. When a horse is highly strung like that I always think they've a bit about them. But the one I've enjoyed most at this early stage of the season is a two-year-old called Inniscastle lad, trained by William Muir - he is the best I've sat on this summer.
In terms of the jumpers, I'd have to plug for Probably Sorry, Spieta and Echo Springs.
There was plenty of talk in the Weigh Room at the weekend about the Shergar Cup and the Candian jockey Emma-Jayne Wilson who won two of the six races, which was in itself pretty significant.
Tom Queally captained the Great Britain and Ireland team but Europe went on to raise the cup through the steady performances of Olivier Peslier.
On the other side of the Atlantic I feel jockey Jack Doyle is due a mention after earning a big pay-day out in Saratoga in the USA. Jack is a big lad at around 10st 4lbs but I always say the heat in America in the summer helps you sweat off those extra pounds.
