'I've never had a run of winners like it' - Ryan Mania revelling in hot streak

Ryan Mania has a few days to reflect on his most prolific spell in the saddle before aiming to continue the hot streak over the weekend.

The Scottish jockey has ridden nine winners from his last nine completed rides in hurdle and chase races since December 29 and has gained a total of ten winners from 24 rides since Boxing Day.

With no jump racing in the north until Saturday, the 34-year-old will have to wait until Newcastle to try to extend the best run of his long career.

"It's great as I've never had a run of winners like it before, so that's brilliant," he said on Wednesday. "But it's all down to the trainers and staff for making sure the horses were in form and allowing me to do my job.

"The horses are obviously well and running in the right races. Jockeys generally don't ride any day different from the rest and if we're riding a lot of winners it's because the horses are running well."

Ryan Mania keeps his rampant form going on Massini Man at Musselburgh on WednesdayCredit: John Grossick (racingpost.com/photos)

Mania retired in November 2014 due to problems with his weight, having won the Grand National on the Sue Smith-trained Auroras Encore the year before.

Based with Scottish Borders trainer Sandy Thomson since making a surprise return in October 2019, he has made a successful comeback and won at the 2021 Cheltenham Festival on Vintage Clouds, again for Smith.

Thomson, who is Mania's stepfather-in-law, has provided the jockey with eight of his last ten winners, including the most recent of those on Massini Man at Musselburgh on Tuesday.

"It was nice coming in there and it brought it home that it had been a pretty busy and successful nine days' racing from Boxing Day onwards," Mania said. "I've known Massini Man's owner-breeder Liz Fletcher a long time and to get a winner for her was great."

Ryan Mania's magic run

Massini ManMusselburgh Jan 3 – won at 11-4
Storm NelsonAyr Jan 2 – won at 6-5
Donna’s DoubleAyr Jan 2 – won at 100-30
The Jad FactorAyr Jan 2 – fell
BensonMusselburgh Jan 1 – won at 2-1
Large ActionMusselburgh Jan 1 – won at 25-1
WonderoftheworldMusselburgh Jan 1 – pulled up
BringbackmemoriesMusselburgh Jan 1 – won at 13-8
Bak RockyUttoxeter December 31 – won at 5-1
SirwilliamwallaceHaydock Dec 30 – pulled up
War SoldierHaydock Dec 30 – won at 2-1
Carcaci CastleKelso Dec 29 – won at 7-4

On his prospects of keeping the remarkable run going over the weekend and beyond, Mania said: "I'll be back at Newcastle on Saturday. I might only have one and don't really know for sure what's going on. January is pretty quiet and even if there's racing on we don't have a lot of horses left to run because they've all been very busy.

"There's loads of potential in everything I've ridden over the festive period and it's quite exciting.

"There were some good performances including from Carcaci Castle and War Soldier, who are really nice novice hurdlers, along with Blue Baloo, who won a bumper and might end up over hurdles towards the end of the season. They're nice horses who hopefully have bright futures."

Read this next:

'It's so hard to let go' - popular jockey Mattie Batchelor retires from riding

The Front Runner is our latest email newsletter available exclusively to Members' Club Ultimate subscribers. Chris Cook, a four-time Racing Reporter of the Year award winner, provides his take on the day's biggest stories and tips for the upcoming racing every morning from Monday to Friday. Not a Members' Club Ultimate subscriber? Click here to join today and also receive our Ultimate Daily emails plus our full range of fantastic website and newspaper content