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Ashforth's Angles: Praise for those that just keep on going

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John Kington

John Kington: goes for just the one ride at Sedgefield on Thursday

  PICTURE: John Grossick (racingpost.com/photos)  

 By David Ashforth 6:00PM 24 FEB 2016 

LET US now praise – not famous men but men seen yet largely unnoticed, their names on racecards year after year, their faces familiar in weighing rooms and parade rings but rarely in the winner’s enclosure.

Every day some jump jockeys do something that seems to make no sense. They get in a car and drive a long way to ride one horse with only a remote chance of winning. Then, all being well, they drive home having earned about £160 less an assortment of expenses.

John Kington had his first ride in 2004, his first winner the following year. His best season was 2011-2012, with 13 winners, his biggest win in 2007, when Finzi won the Southern National Handicap Chase at Fontwell and almost £16,000.

At that time Kington was a 7lb claiming conditional jockey and, now 29, he still claims 3lb because his total tally of winners stands at 66. He will lose his claim when it reaches 75.

It is slow going. During the three seasons prior to this one, Kington rode 11 winners. This season he has ridden one winner from 34 rides. That was back in August, when Omid won at Sedgefield.

Kington is at Sedgefield again today, for one ride – Zazamix (2.55), for whose trainer, Andrew Crook, Kington is now stable jockey. It is not far from Crook’s yard at Middleham to Sedgefield, which is just as well, as Zazamix, rated 68, is 6lb out of the handicap and has refused and pulled up on two of his last three outings.

Hard work for Messenger

Kington is not alone in battling on. At Huntingdon, Tom Messenger also has one ride – Funny Irish for trainer Fiona Kehoe in the closing maiden hurdle (5.05).

Now 30, Messenger’s career has been similar to that of Kington, although he has ridden more winners and had more mounts. His first ride was also in 2004 and he rode his first winner later that year. His best season was 2007-2008, with 24 winners from 419 rides and win prize-money topping £100,000.

At that time Harriet Graham and Caroline Bailey were major supports. Nowadays Messenger is closely linked with Chris Bealby’s Lincolnshire yard. During the three seasons prior to the current one, Messenger rode 18 winners. This season he has ridden four from 41 rides, the most recent of them on Wings Attract in late November. It has been a quiet time since.

For Messenger, Kington and others the pickings are slim and the high days scarce yet they have not given up but pressed on. There are pleasures away from the racecourse, from involvement with a particular stable – Crook’s in the case of Kington, Bealby’s in that of Messenger. Yet it can’t be easy which is why, when jockeys like them have a winner we can all celebrate. It will doubtless be a small race, the media quickly moving on to something bigger but on a day like today, small races are a big part of horseracing.

 

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