Irresistible run for Probert sees eight winners in two days

Keith Hamer
August 12, 2021 4:57 pm

‘It’s great and I’m just trying to sink it all in now’.

David Probert is looking forward to continuing his rich vein of form after enjoying a highly-successful stint on home soil in Wales with eight winners over two days at Ffos Las.

After riding the last five winners on Wednesday evening, the Rhymney Valley-born jockey chalked up a treble on Thursday afternoon’s card.

Probert, who is enjoying his best-ever season, reached 100 winners for the fourth time in his career with victory on Typewriter at Nottingham on Tuesday and has been almost invincible since.

“It’s been an amazing 48 hours. It’s great and I’m just trying to sink it all in now,” he said.

“Ffos Las is my home track and I knew I had some good rides going there last night. When the first few won it was unexpected, but I was on the right horses at the right time and it all fell into place.”

He carried on where he had left off at the Carmarthen track when making it six winners in a row on Hey Teacher in the opening Cazoo Search Drive Smile Novice Median Auction Stakes.

Hey Teacher lived up to his prohibitive price of 1-4 favourite when running his three rivals into submission.

Leading from the start, the Andrew Balding-trained three-year-old pulled away in the closing stages to score by nine and a half lengths from Scherbobalob.

Probert had to settle for third place on Damned Elusive in the Wasdell Group Handicap behind Summer’s Knight – but he was back in the winner’s enclosure in the very next race on the Balding-trained Great Havana.

The 100-30 favourite was challenged on both sides by Whispering Winds and Showmedemoney but shrugged both off to beat the latter by half a length in the Carol Vorderman Loves West Wales Nursery Handicap.

After going close with a second place on Red Walls in the Owens Group Handicap, Probert ending the meeting on a high when steering L’Operateur (3-1) to victory for trainer Sir Mark Todd in the concluding foreverpuppy.co.uk Maiden Handicap.

“Andrew’s horses are in great form. The first winner today just cantered round and the two-year-old was very game in the nursery,” he said.

“The last winner was excellent for Sir Mark and his team who work extremely hard. He’s pretty new to this racing game so every winner counts for him.”

Probert has six rides at Newbury on Friday before teaming up with Todd again for Tasman Bay in the Group Two Prix Guillaume d’Ornano at Deauville on Saturday.

“I’ve got a few nice rides at Newbury tomorrow. Hopefully I’ll have a bit of luck there. They look competitive fields so hopefully one or two of them can run well,” he went on.

“Then I’m off to France on Saturday to ride Tasman Bay in the Group Two for Sir Mark. He’s in great form. He came out of his race at Goodwood very well so hopefully he’ll have a really good chance over there.”

Probert already has one eye on York next week where his rides include the unbeaten Sandrine in the Sky Bet Lowther Stakes.

“It looks the obvious target for her to go there,” he added.

“Obviously she’ll carry a penalty, but she seems in great for at home and she was pretty impressive at Newmarket having taken a step forward from Ascot. I’m really looking forward to riding her.”