Tom Dascombe not seeking a replacement for Richard Kingscote

PA Sport Reporters
August 10, 2021 3:15 pm

Trainer to continue without a retained rider in 2021.

Tom Dascombe feels the fact jockeys are restricted to riding at one meeting per day has negated the need for him to announce a replacement for Richard Kingscote.

After a long and successful association with Dascombe, Kingscote has decided to pursue increased opportunities for Sir Michael Stoute this year.

While the pair will still team up on occasion, Dascombe admits that when Kingscote informed him of his link up with Stoute earlier this year, it did come as a shock.

“Richard made this decision at sort of the beginning of the year, when Sir Michael asked him. He hasn’t been our stable jockey basically for 2021,” said Dascombe.

“We obviously miss that connection but he’ll continue to ride for us, as and when available at each different meeting. Now jockeys can only ride at one meeting everything’s changed anyway – I suppose we’ll save a few quid for paying him to ride for us!

“With the changes in jockeys only being able to do one meeting, there’s no need for a stable jockey.”

While Jane Elliott is coming in for more and more rides for the yard, Dascombe says he will continue to use the best available, too.

“It’s creating far more work, but you just have to look at each meeting and see who’s the best jockey available,” he told Nick Luck’s Daily Podcast.

Tom Dascombe admits he has found this season strange without having first call on Richard Kingscote (Mike Egerton/PA)

“Whether Richard is at Newmarket or Newbury or Ascot, hopefully he’ll ride the horses there for us and Jane (Elliott) will ride wherever and then you just use the best available. They can’t go from Wolverhampton to Sandown anymore or whatever it might be.

“We’ve been together a long time. It wasn’t something I was expecting to happen. It’s taken a little while to get used to the idea of not going to the races and legging Richard up on a horse.

“What amazes me is that 15 years ago when I started using Richard, people – owners – didn’t really want him and it took years for people to understand that he was a brilliant jockey.

“Ralph Beckett, he started using him because he could see that is a great jockey. And it’s taken all this time for the genius that is Sir Michael Stoute to realise he’s as good as anybody out there and better than most.

“If Richard rides your horse, you’re going to get an honest answer after the race, and he’s going to do his level best.”