'I get to ride some of the best horses in Britain' - amateur rider trades Grade 1 jumpers for Epsom Derby glory

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Henry Main traded his day job of riding some of Nicky Henderson's biggest stars for some glory of his own when partnering Seeking Charles to victory in the prestigious Betfred-sponsored Amateurs' Derby. 

The rider, 23, has been based at Seven Barrows for four years and has Gold Cup runner-up Jango Baie among his regular rides, but he traded the jumps for the Flat for this victory when fending off the likes of Patrick Mullins and race regular David Dunsdon for a six-length victory.

"Sometimes you have a ride and it all goes right, it's brilliant," he said. "I wasn't able to relax as I was sure someone was going to come and get me at the line, but I'll try to enjoy it now – I've got a good bunch of friends who are waiting for me back in the pub!"

It was a second success in the race for Main, whose first win came for aunt Heather Main on Captain Haddock in 2021. The amateur jockey, who regularly rides in point-to-points, also cares for some leading names at Seven Barrows. 

Henry Main breezes home on Seeking CharlesCredit: Edward Whitaker (racingpost.com/photos)

"I ride Jango Baie and Lulamba every day; those are my two boys," said Main. "That keeps me very happy, and I've had a ride in the Kim Muir for the boss too. You get to ride some of the best horses in Britain every day – I'm very lucky.

"When I won this race five years ago it was a blur, I didn't really remember it, but I can appreciate it a bit more now, being longer in the game. The year after I won it the first time, I gave my horse a pretty bad ride and the two-hour journey home felt more like six hours, so it's great to finally win it again."

Majesty reigns

The bank holiday family fixture attracted plenty of young racegoers, and one lucky child was gifted with the winning goggles of Pierre-Louis Jamin after he guided Aurora Majesty to success in the 7f handicap. 

The 7-2 shot was beaten a head in the race last year, but went one better to score by a length and a half under an assured ride from Jamin.

The winning rider said: "The rain's helped him and I was quite confident he'd run a big race. He just likes to bounce out and travel, and he does it very well here. 

"When we turned in, I thought we'd be hard to catch because I knew he'd stay to the line. He's tough."

Aurora Majesty and Pierre-Louis Jamin pull clear of RhoscolynCredit: Edward Whitaker (racingpost.com/photos)

Cotai collects

Epsom local Jim Boyle was at Deauville on Sunday to watch stable star Into The Sky, but he managed to catch a flight home on Monday in time to see his five-year-old Hello Cotai deliver at 14-1 in the 1m2f handicap. 

"We always want winners here – part of the reason we bought him was because we knew he had Epsom form," said Boyle, who picked up Hello Cotai for 9,000gns in October. 

"We've been waiting for that softer ground for a long time. Pat [Cosgrave] has given him a brilliant ride, he's taken the bull by the horns as there was no pace and timed it to perfection." 

Boyle also reported Into The Sky to be well after his fourth-place finish in the Group 3 Prix de Meautry. 

"He's good, he just got back to the yard an hour ago and I only beat him here by a few hours," he said. "He's a bit tired, but he's eaten up and we're happy with him."

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