'I was trying to win at all costs' - Nicola Currie vows to learn from her mistakes after receiving 39-day totting-up ban

Nicola Currie has admitted a 39-day totting-up ban for multiple breaches of the whip rules stemmed from a desire to win at all costs and to get her career back on track.

The jockey was referred to the disciplinary panel after going one strike over the limit at Wolverhampton in February, her fourth offence in a little more than four months.

Currie, who has matched last year's return of six winners, will have nine days of her ban deferred for six months or 200 rides.

"I had no right to appeal; the rules are rules and I broke them," said the 31-year-old. "The big picture is I've had a good start to the year, but I've been riding desperate. I've been so eager to get my career back on track that I was trying to win at all costs. I wasn't really thinking about the whip, just that I had to have winners to get the ball rolling again.

"I had my agent in my ear warning I'd get a totting-up ban and in my head I just thought I won't do it, but clearly I wasn't thinking about it enough. I was just thinking about riding winners, but these are the rules. I broke them and will face the consequences. It's a long time to be out, but I'll keep my fitness up and certainly won't let this happen again."

Top rider Nicola Currie (right): after winning the Shergar CupCredit: Mark Cranham (racingpost.com/photos)

Currie recorded a career-best 81 winners in 2019 and landed the Alistair Haggis Silver Saddle as top jockey at the Shergar Cup in 2021. Since then her winners and rides have dropped markedly. In 2023, she recorded seven winners from 150 rides, while last season she managed only six winners from 126 rides.  

"I took three months off last winter," said Currie. "I was struggling mentally. I'd gone a bit sour. I took three months out and went home for two to spend time with my family and to be a normal human being. Then I went to spend a month riding out for Donnacha O'Brien, which is the best thing I could have done for my career – I wish I'd done it sooner.

"I just grew up enough to know I needed to take a step back. I was getting a bit heavy and wasn't putting in 110 per cent because I wasn't riding winners and was driving miles for 50-1 or 100-1 shots most days. It was tough to keep going. Now my weight is the best it's been for years and I'll be able to do nearly bottom weights again no problem. 

"Last year we thought it was a good idea to spread myself all over the place and ride out for lots of smaller trainers, but that never got the ball rolling. This year I've ridden out all winter for Ollie Sangster, and for Andrew Balding since January. Of course, I'll be fourth or fifth in line, but hopefully they'll have plenty of horses to help me in the summer."

Currie said she has apologised to the people she has been riding for after picking up her ban, and added: "I've also been doing some work with Michael Caulfield, the sport's psychologist, and George Baker on the Equicizer. I'll continue to do that during my ban, try to keep my fitness up and will be ready to rock when I'm permitted to ride again."

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