LEIGHTON Aspell is a veteran of the Weigh Room and he showed every bit of his experience by riding Many Clouds to victory in the Hennessy Gold Cup on Saturday.
That win will sit very well with his Grand National triumph earlier this year aboard Pineau De Re.
Leighton’s talent has never been in doubt.
And at the age of 38, he has that extra knowledge of how to ride tracks to get the most out of the horse.
And that’s the key as you get older.
You see that experience shine through, even if nine out of 10 times it’s the best horse that wins.
You see it in riders like Brian Harding too.
For a spell I lived and worked with Leighton’s brother Paddy, who is also a very good jockey and horseman.
It must be great to have that sibling connection in racing.
They used to ring each other up and when Leighton would be up north he’d stop with Paddy.
Maybe Leighton hasn’t had the big chances that the APs or Rubys of the racing world have, but he rides a good share of nice horses and he never does one an injustice.
Like his trainer Oliver Sherwood, Leighton always seems to be in the right place at the right time and it worked out for them.
What’s impressive about Leighton is his achievements since he came back from retirement having given up race riding in 2007.
I don’t know all of his reasons for packing up, but he had a young family at the time and maybe he couldn’t put up with the mileage.
Regular readers of this column will be aware of how much driving and traveling away from the family there is in racing.
The stresses and strains are matched only by our love for the sport.
Sometimes the balance goes the other way and that seems to have happened with Ryan Mania.
Ryan was booked to ride at Sedgefield last week, but didn’t show for three rides and the next day he announced his retirement.
He also took a break from racing in 2011.
Ryan is 24 so you might imagine he’s coming towards his prime as a jump jockey.
But he has had well-publicised struggles with weight issues. He’s not far under six foot, so it’s not surprising he battles his weight.
I spoke with Ryan on Thursday and to be honest I kind of admire his honesty.
He said he rode four winners last week, but he didn’t enjoy it.
He’s didn’t want to lie to himself, to be 34 or 35 and grumpy doing something he wasn’t 110 per cent committed to.
Life is short after all and if the love’s gone it can be a brave call to make the change.
It’s a shame because he’s always been naturally talented in the saddle.
He’s another winner of the Aintree showpiece, memorably he rode to a win on Sue Smith’s Auroras Encore in 2013.
On the subject of Aintree, the National Fences are up on Saturday for the Betfred Becher Chase Day.
It should be a cracking day’s racing and the Package and Champion Court are my two picks this weekend.
