Our questions are answered by the Indian champion jockey who recently rode a high-profile winner at Ascot at the Shergar Cup meeting
Suraj Narredu realised a lifelong dream when he rode a winner in August on his Shergar Cup debut at Ascot – the track where Frankie Dettori’s 1996 ‘Magnificent Seven’ feat inspired him to become a jockey.
The 40-year-old, who has ridden nearly 2,500 winners in India including the Indian Derby four times, also captained the new Asian team to overall victory in the annual international jockeys’ event.
At the age of 25, Narredu became the youngest Indian jockey to reach 1,000 career wins – and notched his 2,000th success in 2019. His father Satish and uncle Malesh, both now successful trainers, were also jockeys.
It was with Malesh that a young Suraj paid his first visit to Ascot when he represented India at the 2009 Shergar Cup; a notable achievement came ten years later in 2019 when he teamed up with brother Rajesh to win the Indian Derby.
Narredu has also ridden in Australia, Dubai, France, Macau, Malaysia, Mauritius and the USA. “After my winner, winning the Shergar Cup on my debut was the icing on the cake,” he said. “It was a big deal to come to Ascot and it was a big deal back home in India.”
Which racing figure past or present do you most admire?
That’s very easy and the whole world knows it: it’s Frankie Dettori. Mainly because when I started my career I was in awe of him. I saw what he did at Ascot, winning seven races, and from them I’ve been a big fan. As I got into racing more I understood the technicalities. I still feel he can get everything inch out of a horse. To me he is the best, without a doubt.
Which is your favourite venue, and race, anywhere in the world?
Now that I have won at the mecca of racing, I would put Ascot as my number one. Having seen a lot of top horses race there over the years, it has something about it. It’s an interesting course to ride as well.
There are so many good races to win but my Group 1 race is the Indian Derby. That’s the race I always want to win – but there are lots of other big races around the world I would like to ride in, if I ever got the opportunity.
Who is your favourite racehorse and why?
It would be Frankel. Going unbeaten and demolishing the opposition every time, he would be every jockey’s dream horse. My favourite horse that I have ridden is Be Safe. He was a son of Holy Roman Emperor who won me the first of my four Derbys in 2015 and he won the Bangalore Derby also.
What is your fondest memory in racing?
My first Indian Derby win on Be Safe and the reception we got from the crowd as we returned to the winners’ circle. He was going a mile and a half for the first time. He had a very high cruising speed but I wasn’t worried about getting the trip. He had a huge stride. The horse was a crowd favourite and the entire celebration and jubilation was magnificent. It was the first time I had felt an experience like that.
If you could change one thing in racing, what would it be?
It would be the whip rules in Britain! Of course I felt hard done by to pick up a ban at Ascot. It wasn’t for over-whipping. I gave my horse a backhander and on the second stride I gave him another but he was responding so quickly and I got suspended for not giving three strides between the first and second crack.
I felt they could have been more lenient for a first-timer under these rules. In India we are allowed eight strikes with exceptions if used as a corrective measure. We don’t have immediate suspensions – we have two fines first and then suspension and for a fourth offence you have to ride for the entire rest of the season without a whip.
Suraj Narredu was speaking to Jon Lees
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