'It's a bit like Dettori - we both just needed people to place trust in us'
France correspondent Scott Burton talks to the four-time Arc winner
This time 12 months ago a few commentators were questioning whether John Gosden and Bjorn Nielsen might need to update their little black books when it came to the top jockeys in France.
Stradivarius had come through his trial for the ultimate challenge in the Qatar Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe and, with Frankie Dettori wed for eternity to stablemate Enable, Olivier Peslier had been confirmed as the man who would be entrusted with the ride.
Partner of four Arc winners including the immortal Peintre Celebre, Peslier, then 47, had remained popular with visiting trainers from Britain obliged by Covid-19 to seek local expertise. But he was on his way to finishing 41st in the jockeys' championship, only just breaking 250 rides for the calendar year. Hardly evidence of a man in demand with his compatriots.
Read the full story
Read award-winning journalism from the best writers in racing, with exclusive news, interviews, columns, investigations, stable tours and subscriber-only emails.
Subscribe to unlock
- Racing Post digital newspaper (worth over £100 per month)
- Award-winning journalism from the best writers in racing
- Expert tips from the likes of Tom Segal and Paul Kealy
- Replays and results analysis from all UK and Irish racecourses
- Form study tools including the Pro Card and Horse Tracker
- Extensive archive of statistics covering horses, trainers, jockeys, owners, pedigree and sales data
Already a subscriber?Log in
Published on inInterviews
Last updated
Copy- It's been a quarter of a century since we started - here's how we've seen the sport we love change
- 'You can see why people end up struggling - when you're trying to pay the electric bill, losing one ride can be massive'
- 'I've never paid six figures for a horse and never will - I learned pretty quickly you're only one phone call away from f*** all'
- 'I’ve trained some fabulous horses, worked with some excellent riders - maybe I have brought a little bit of talent to the table as well'
- ‘When you’re in the moment and you’re starved, you’re ready to explode - everything built up and I just lost my s**t’
- It's been a quarter of a century since we started - here's how we've seen the sport we love change
- 'You can see why people end up struggling - when you're trying to pay the electric bill, losing one ride can be massive'
- 'I've never paid six figures for a horse and never will - I learned pretty quickly you're only one phone call away from f*** all'
- 'I’ve trained some fabulous horses, worked with some excellent riders - maybe I have brought a little bit of talent to the table as well'
- ‘When you’re in the moment and you’re starved, you’re ready to explode - everything built up and I just lost my s**t’