Stories from the Saddle: Darren Andrews
- pporacommittee
- 2 days ago
- 8 min read
Darren Andrews, one of the leading jockeys on the South-West pointing circuit, got off the mark for the season at Larkhill last Sunday, winning the Maiden on Tourmaline for long-standing supporter John Heard. The 32-year-old, whose career tally stands at 107 – 95 in point-to-points – has an admirable record at the top Hunter Chase fixtures, having won the John Corbet on Forest Chimes and twice at the Cheltenham evening fixture, and he talked to Jake Exelby this week about the ups and downs of his career, his ambition to reach a century of point-to-point victories and how chance phone calls have led to some of his most productive associations.
Where are you from, where are you based now and what do you do for a living?
I grew up near Yeovil and now live near Lyme Regis. I’m a farmer. Mum used to work for John and Heather Snook, who owned Thistlecrack, so I’d work on their farm at weekends and in the summer. I’ve been where I’m based now for ten years – it’s a mixed dairy, beef cattle and sheep farm – and moved to Devon when I met my fiancée Lauren Reed (who also used to ride in points).
Talk me through your career in racing so far and how you got into point-to-pointing in the first place?
I always wanted to play football but got into hunting as a teenager and enjoyed the thrill of going fast and jumping hedges, so thought, ‘I fancy this racing game’ and went to the British Racing School at Newmarket. That was back in Richard Barber’s day, so I got a job with him, and was there for three seasons, although I didn’t ride for him. He had the likes of Nick Williams and Ryan Mahon riding, then a certain Will Biddick came along… I was there at the wrong time!
Talk me through your first rides… and your first win
My first mounts were for Gordon Herrod, who was Master of the Cotley – I was introduced to him when I was working for the Barbers. I used to hunt his pointers a couple of times a week, and he asked me to ride them in races, although he only had a few. My first ride was at Littlewindsor – right next to the Barbers – on Feel The Beat. My first winner for Gordon was If It Be Your Will at Upcott Cross in 2017. He got me going and I can’t thank him enough.
My first ever winner was Bishops Lane at Cothelstone in 2013, a spare ride for Hugo Froud – Louis Muspratt was due to ride but had a fall in an earlier race. I wasn’t expecting it – everything happened so quickly – and I was shocked when I jumped two out in front! I was thinking, ‘What do I do now? How does this work?’
It took you until your third season and 36th ride to get off the mark, then you went another 80 rides and two seasons without a winner. Was there a time you didn’t think it would happen for you?
I don’t know why it took so long, but I just kept going. My mindset was to go racing, have a couple of rides, and hopefully get round! I was still very novicey, so thought that the more rides I had, the more I’d improve. I never thought race-riding wasn’t for me.
Why do you think your career really took off in 2018/19, with 16 winners?
It came out of nowhere. That was the Ben Clarke era, when he had the likes of The Galloping Bear and Dr Kananga – it was the first time I got on nice horses. Ben would say to me, ‘The horses are fit – ride them with confidence!’
I was also riding River Myth for Stuart Sampson. She was a lovely mare on whom I won ten races. You just need a couple of horses who can win five or six races and things start to happen.
How did your association with Phil Rowley come about – a Devon-based jockey riding for a Shropshire trainer?
Phil was running Salvatore at Bangor-on-Dee and Will Biddick had ridden him last time, but I knew he was going to ride (Cheltenham Foxhunters winner) Porlock Bay, so I had nothing to lose by ringing him. I spoke to (Phil’s wife) Mel, she said they’d get back to me, and she called me when I was on my way to ride at Ludlow. They’re not based far away, so she asked me to come and sit on Salvatore, and it took off from there. We hit the headlines for beating Porlock Bay, I started having a few more rides for Phil and I ride most of his now that the likes of Alex Edwards, Ben Bromley and Toby McCain-Mitchell have turned professional.
Phil’s been a big help in my career and it’s a shame he doesn’t have the numbers he used to (with Mel training professionally). He’ll have up to ten pointers this season, although some of them are three-year-olds who might run in bumpers under rules. One to watch? Hopeful Herbie, who unseated me at Eyton-on-Severn in 2024 and missed last season. He’s a nice horse who’s grown up a lot and should win a Maiden before going under rules.
I’ve actually just come back from there today – I go up every fortnight.
Another trainer who you’ve ridden plenty of winners for is John Heard, starting with Navanman. How did that association come about?
David Noonan, Rex Dingle and Brian Carver – all friends of mine – had been riding for John and, every season, one of them would turn conditional. So, I rang Bryan, asked for John’s number and it went from there. I pop in to his place every now and then – I schooled the two I rode for him at Larkhill before they ran.
If you don’t ring, you don’t know!
Did you ever think about turning professional yourself?
No, never. I have to monitor my weight, and I enjoy pointing and don’t want to lose my way under rules. If I can’t ride winners pointing, then I won’t be able to under rules!
Why do you think you had a quiet season last year, following a really good spell?
I’d ridden 20 winners in 2022/23, then another 11 the year after, but last season was too bad to be true. Just ask Lauren – I was a nightmare to be with. I didn’t have a winner until March and was at rock bottom mentally, questioning myself. I spent the summer um-ing and ah-ing about whether to hang up my boots.
What are you looking forward to about this season? Presumably you’re hoping to get to 100 winners between the flags?
I want to get there, yes. It’s a small milestone, but massive for me – ten years ago, I’d have laughed if you’d said I could do it. That was my target last season, but I was knocked down to earth. But the main thing this year is to enjoy it and not put pressure on myself to hit numbers.
What are your ambitions in pointing and racing?
I’ve ridden in the Cheltenham and Aintree Foxhunters, and I’d love to win one of them, ideally both. I’ve got a couple of prospects this season, but I’m not saying who they are! It would also be good to lose my right to claim 7lb against professionals – I only claim 3lb in amateur races – but that’s probably not realistic.
What have been your career highlights?
The biggest was winning on Quintin’s Man at Cheltenham – bred and trained by John, from a small West Country yard. I told John beforehand, ‘I will NOT be moving until I turn round the bend at the bottom of the hill’, and I didn’t!
Solomon Grey was my first Cheltenham winner. It had been a stressful day – I’d been held up in traffic on the M5, my three earlier mounts had pulled up, and I’d never ridden the horse before.
Winning the John Corbet on Forest Chimes was amazing. I’d won a Restricted on him, but Toby McCain-Mitchell made the horse. It’s the biggest race I’ve won, and owner Diana Williams is a lovely person.
Which has been your favourite horse?
River Myth will always be my favourite. She was a lunatic at home, and you had to know her. She reared over on me once and I ended up in hospital – and she was my first ride back after that!
Which horse (not one of your own mounts) would you most like to ride?
Josh Newman’s Noble Blue, who looks very progressive. I ride him at their yard – I go there at least once a week.
Which other jockeys do you admire?
Will Biddick. I’ve been around him since we worked for Richard Barner and he’s different gravy. I’m used to trainers phoning me saying, ‘Sorry, we’ve got Will’. The sooner he retires, the better – I’ll get more rides!
What's your favourite course?
I’m torn between two. Stafford Cross is my local track, and I’ve had plenty of winners there, including Overafrica, who Lauren owned and trained. I also enjoy Trebudannon and have had success there too.
What would you do if you were in charge of the sport?
I can’t get my head around the fact that you need a Category A or B licence for a bumper, but you can jump on an unraced maiden for your first ride. I know most people don’t put novices on young horses, but I think you should need to have had a certain number of rides to go in a Maiden.
There’s been a lot of to-ing and fro-ing on changes, but the sport needs change, and if something doesn’t work, you can alter it again! We have to try new things.
You’re a PPORA rider representative. What does that involve?
Going to Stratford and eating lunch! Seriously, Darren Edwards approached me and asked me to do it, and it really opened my eyes – I was just a jockey at that point and didn’t realise how much is involved in running the sport. If someone has a problem, they can come and speak to me, although not many people do, so it’s quite a peaceful life!
What are your non-horsey hobbies?
I play football every Saturday – I’m signed-up to five teams across Devon – although I don’t support a particular team and have never been to a professional match. I prefer watching at home, as does Lauren, who’s joined our Fantasy Football League and is beating me!
Darren Andrews is sponsored by J D Moore Bloodstock this season.
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