Veteran jockey Wigberto Ramos reflects on Emblem Road’s shock 80-1 victory in the world’s richest race – in his own words
Panamanian jockey Wigberto Ramos enjoyed the greatest success of his long career when he steered the locally trained Emblem Road to an unexpected victory in the $20 million Saudi Cup, the world’s richest horse race.
Ramos, known as ‘Wiggy’, has spent the last 24 years riding in Saudi Arabia, where he is a multiple champion jockey, having previously ridden in the US where his 1993 Florida Derby triumph on Bull Inthe Heather was the feature among of 1,470 winners.
He had been forced to miss the first two editions of the Saudi Cup and was not even first- choice rider for Emblem Road. Here Ramos relates how he made the most of his opportunity to pull off one of racing’s biggest shock results.
Emblem Road is the biggest winner I have had in my career, no doubt about it. The way things came around for me in the Saudi Cup was unbelievable.
That’s because when they created the Saudi Cup two years ago I was ready to ride and then one week before I broke my hand and wasn’t available to participate in the Jockeys’ Challenge or the Saudi Cup.
Then in the second year I was ready to participate in the Saudi Cup, then one week before the horse got sick so I was out.
This year Emblem Road and Making Miracles were enjoying a very good season and when they both qualified their rider, Alexis Moreno – who is also from Panama – chose to ride Emblem Road.
But then the week before he switched to Making Miracles. I would have been happy to ride Making Miracles or Emblem Road.
I said in the lead-up to the Saudi Cup that I believed my horse could finish in the first three. I knew there were some very tough horses like Mishriff and the horses that came from America, but I said to the prince and the trainer, ‘The only way we can win this horse race is if we run off the pace’.
I said I would take my time and when I saw my horse in the parade ring I knew he could run a very big race. He went around the horses and was in the clear. I won by half a length and when I pulled him up and realised what I’d done I was close to crying.
I started to shout, ‘I did it, I did it!’ Then I celebrated. From that time to now I have been chilling with the Saudi people, people from America, all over the world. The vice-president of Panama sent me a message on my Instagram, and that feels good.
I am 53 years old now and this is the best thing that happened to me in my career. I have no thought of retirement. I feel good mentally and I think this is the best time of my career.
Prince Salman, the owner of Emblem Road, told me he had decided to skip the Dubai World Cup, where I think he would have had a big chance.
Now $1 million is going into my pocket. I don’t know what to do with it but I think I might buy a new car, a Lexus 570. I love that car and now I have the chance to buy it.
Saudi Arabia is now my second home. To ride this winner for these people means a lot. Emblem Road came here as a two-year-old from America but he is a local horse who beat all the best horses in the world.
Wigberto Ramos was speaking to Jon Lees
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