RACING: Pat Eddery heads to Lingfield for six rides today poised to continue his incredibly-consistent scoring rate as he needs only two more winners to complete a century for the 29th time in the past 30 seasons.
The 11-times champion does not usually continue riding on the all-weather after the Turf season finishes, but he was determined to reach 100 winners yet again.
He explained: "I think the only time in the past I have ridden much on the sand in the winter was in the year I was trying to beat Lester's (Piggott) record for the number of seasons he had ridden 100 winners.
"It is nice to keep doing it if possible, so I decided to carry on and the great thing is that Lingfield is a lovely track to ride now, horses run the same on it as they do on grass and the surface is not as hard on them as on the other all weather courses - and there is no kickback."
The only season during the 30-year spell Eddery missed out on a century on the domestic front was in 1982 and he had very good reason as he was riding in Ireland a great deal of the time and actually finished Irish champion jockey. He went on: "I rode 75 winners in Ireland and still managed to get to 83 over here so it wasn't a bad year was it?"
Eddery has over 100 acres to farm with mares and foals and the children's ponies to look after into the bargain and he went on: "The other good thing about Lingfield is that it is only an hour from my place.
"So there is still plenty of time to get some work done at home too - and I think I have ridden at least one winner every time I have been down there."
There is no doubt that he has been riding as well this year as he has ever done, and he added: "It has been a good year really, particularly as some of the stables I ride for have not been firing on all cylinders - hopefully they will pick up again next year.
"And of course it is not easy to get on really good horses, Aidan O'Brien and Godolphin seem to win them all but things can change and we might have a turn soon."
Eddery will celebrate his 51st birthday before the 2003 Flat season gets under way next March, but he has no thoughts of retiring and he is in sight of Sir Gordon Richards's all-time career record of 4,870 winners.
Eddery's total stands at 4,554 and he overtook Piggott's tally of 4,493 earlier in the year. And it is a target as he concluded: "It would be nice to beat it, there is still a long way to go, but as long as I stay fit and healthy and keep getting decent horses to ride I will keep on trying."
Eddery's six mounts today are: 12.15 Molly's Secret, 12.45 Sienna Sunset, 1.20 Aegean Magic, 1.50 Sundial, 2.55 Great View, 3.30 Classic Role.
