Stories from the Saddle: Harvey Barfoot-Saunt
19-year-old Harvey Barfoot-Saunt enjoyed his seventh career winner last weekend, when taking the concluding bumper on the impressive Stroke Of An Angel. It was an appropriate victory, as Barfoot-Saunt works for locally based licensed trainer Sam Thomas and the mare is trained for pointing by Thomas’ wife Tori and owned by Dai Walters, who also owns Lower Machen, the course where Stroke Of An Angel won. Barfoot-Saunt – from Wotton-under-Edge in Gloucestershire – is the son of point-to-point (and former licensed) trainer Tracey and fellow jockey Geoff, still riding, including frequently against his son, at the age of 56. The younger Barfoot-Saunt talked to Jake Exelby after his win about his racing career to date, ambitions, and competing against his dad!
You worked for Mickey Bowen before moving to Sam Thomas. Is there a reason behind you choosing to go to Wales?
The opportunity came to go to work for Mickey and his father Peter when I was 17, and where better to go to start than the base of the champion jockey (Mickey’s brother Sean)? I learnt loads in my year with them. After that, I got the job at Sam’s after talking to someone who was riding out there. I rang Sam up, he said there might be opportunities for me, and it went from there.
As a novice jockey, what’s your view on the new rule increasing the number of wins to ten before you ‘lose your claim’?
I think it’s great, as it gives people like me the opportunity to be used for longer, and the ability to claim in most races gives us more of a chance of rides because, in races where a horse has to carry a penalty, the 5lb allowance offsets it. I definitely think I got more rides because of this. For example, I messaged trainer Ed Rees, and he gave me rides at Charing and Chaddesley Corbett.
You’ve had two winners on under rules on Just Over Land as well as five in points. What has been your career highlight?
I have to say my first win under rules for Sam at Fontwell Park. He wasn’t favoured, we didn’t look likely to win at the last, and there’s no feeling like your first winner on the track
When I won my first ever race, on Mickey’s Chilinlikeavillian at Cocklebarrow, it was a strange feeling – I didn’t know what had happened for a day or two!
Who has been your favourite horse?
Macs Legend – my first ever ride. I loved riding him – he was such a dude and showed me the way. He was the very definition of a schoolmaster.
Which horse (not one of your own mounts) would you most like to ride?
It has to be Haiti Couleurs under rules. He’s a big chasing legend and won a Grade One in Ireland with Paul Townend at the weekend.
Which other jockeys do you admire?
If I could choose to be one jockey, it would be Sean Bowen. He’s the right build, so strong and has a great head on his shoulders racing-wise. He’s the perfect mould for a jockey – even if he rides a bit short!
In points, Will Biddick. Watching his career has been unbelievable.
What's your favourite course?
Chaddesley Corbett, a big, nice open course with the space to move the fences between meetings. The ground is always excellent, and it’s maintained as well as any rules track. It’s also great viewing for the public.
How many horses will your Mum Tracey have to go pointing, and are there any of hers to watch?
She has three pointers in at the moment – Hunting Perceval, Ilitch and The Golden Rebel – and is hoping to get a fourth. All of them are older horses who’ll run as often as they can and hopefully pick up a few wins. Hunting Perceval was second at Lower Machen, and I thought he ran OK. He blew up four out, will come on for the run and is consistent – he runs his race every time.
The one to watch is Ilitch, who I bought in the summer, who we hope can take his rules form into pointing and is eligible for Conditions Races (without a penalty). I was looking through the Doncaster Sales catalogue and joking with Mum about buying one, but we didn’t. I then saw that Ilitch was being offered by Thoroughbid and bought him privately before the sale. The ground’s not an issue and he’s ready to run – he was entered on Sunday.
Which other trainers will you be riding for?
I hope to ride for Ed Rees again this season. I go there on a Sunday to ride out. I also go to Tom Scudamore’s quite a lot – I rode for him last season too, then there are a few smaller trainers, the likes of John Evans, for whom I won on Dragon Rock at Howick.
What are your ambitions in pointing and racing? When I first met you, your aim was to turn professional. Is that still the case?
Yes, when the opportunity arises.
This is your fourth full season riding in points. What has made you stay amateur for longer than many riders, who go conditional after one or two seasons?
You could compare me to a big horse, who’s taken longer to mature! I’m six feet tall and have to watch my weight and – for a long time – I was either light and weak or strong and heavy, but now I’ve achieved the balance and am strong and fit!
If you’re young and your weight’s right, it’s good to turn conditional, but you could fall into the trap of making mistakes under rules, where there’s a lot more at stake than in pointing. There’s less pressure, for example via social media.
What would you do if you were in charge of the sport?
They’re doing a good job of trying to get people into racing, but you need horses for people to watch. Pointing is good both for horses progressing to going under rules, and coming back, but we need to promote horses staying in points, not just using the sport as a springboard for rules. So, I think there should be incentives for horses winning going through the grades. There seem to be lots of Maiden and Open horses, while Restricteds and Intermediates have fallen by the wayside.
I know your family are keen hunters. What do you think will happen to pointing after a hunting ban?
I try to hunt when I go home, although only went once last year. I think pointing will still be around, but in a different form. There will be fewer meetings, and more Maidens, as people will be looking for sales horses. I think it will survive… but only for a while.
You’ve ridden against your dad Geoff several times. How competitive are the two of you when race-riding together?
I’m just as competitive with dad as I am with anyone else. In the weighing room he’s my dad, but once the flag drops, he’s just another rider! How often has he finished in front of me? Good question, maybe once at Chaddesley Corbett? (The actual answer is that, out of nine times racing against each other, the score is four each, with one race in which they both pulled up!)
How long do you think he’ll keep going?
I don’t know, and don’t think he does. He still enjoys it and will stop when he falls out of love with it – that could be his next ride, or in three years' time.
What would you be doing if you weren’t involved with horses?
That’s a hard question. Probably finishing an electrical course at college and following dad into being a sparky! I was about to do a course after I left school but jumped at the chance to go to the Bowens.
What are your non-horsey hobbies? I know, when you were younger, you excelled at shooting and were a talented chef.
I don’t cook as much – when I get back from work in the evening, I don’t fancy it. Prawns, white fish and eggs are easy to cook, don’t have many calories, so it’s get something in as quickly as possible then go to bed!
I stopped shooting when I moved to Wales as there weren’t any clubs nearby. Now I play golf – I had lessons in the summer and go to the driving range in the evening or play nine holes if I have time.
Do you have a sponsor?
I've had one before, but not yet this season. Do you know anyone who’d be interested?
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