“I guess it’s something like what women go through with post-natal depression”.
A former leading jockey was trying to explain how he felt when deciding that his riding career had to end.
“Making the decision was thought through and an easy one to make. Where it gets tough is asking oneself, ‘And now what?’ It’s not easy to retire plus, let’s face it, it’s tough to become part of the past and miss the thrill of winning and everything that comes with it.
“Sure, winning Group races and the money that comes with all that is one thing. What’s priceless is how one internalises all that and are made to feel special.
“At the end of the day, however, it’s about the individual and where they’re at with everything else in their life”.
In this instance, the individual I was thinking about was Robbie Fradd, 57, who’s been in excellent form recently, and, these days, riding on the Gold Coast.
From everything I’ve read, managed by former champion jockey Jeff Lloyd, he’s still enjoying riding winners wherever he might be though realising that the day when he has to hang up his boots is not that far away.
When in the music industry and constantly travelling, those in the horse racing fraternity I met occasionally were usually at our mutually favourite meeting places- the Champagne Bar, the Blue Bar, and the former Lebanese restaurant Marouche.
It was at one of these places that I first met Robbie Fradd in passing. He was with some friends, I was with my posse and that was it.
Some years later, I got to meet Robbie and his wife Nathalie when they I was introduced to them by Caspar Fownes during one of those Happy Wednesday race nights at Happy Valley.
We had a good evening together at Adrenaline. During the course of the evening, I found out that Mrs Fradd, a very good cook, makes some of the best chilli sauces in the world- and which I can strongly recommend.
While also being his most important support system, I also didn’t realise that Robbie Fradd had been champion Hong Kong Jockey for one season-1999-2000- before the reign of the Durban Demon began, and was associated with the Ivan Allan trained Fairy King Prawn on whom he won the Yasuda Kinen in 2000, below, and Electronic Unicorn.
The reason for writing this is that the accomplishments, especially internationally, of Jockeys like Robbie Fradd, my great friend Brent Thomson, Darren Gauci, Jeff Lloyd and others should not be forgotten.
This is why I have been campaigning for an International Horse Racing Hall Of Fame for almost a decade.
Maybe the time for this is now...
In the meantime, keep those winners coming, Robbie, and keep rolling back the years.
It’s inspiring stuff.
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