USA: Legendary former jockey Steve Cauthen is teaming up with Wesley Ward in a bid to become a winner again at Royal Ascot – a meeting at which he was dominant in the 1980s during his hugely successful long-term stint in Britain.
Three-time British champion jockey after landing the Triple Crown in the US on Affirmed in 1978, Cauthen was leading jockey at Royal Ascot on no fewer than four occasions.
Now he is set to return in a new guise, as the owner of two-year-old Holding The Line, set to make his debut for Royal Ascot specialist Ward at Gulfstream Park on Saturday [May 13].
Victory in the inaugural running of the Royal Palm Juvenile over five furlongs would secure a ‘win and you’re in’ automatic start in one of the royal meeting’s six races for two-year-olds plus $25,000 in travel expenses.
“I was invited over last year for the Queen’s Jubilee celebrations and I enjoyed myself so much that I wanted to find a way to come back,” said Cauthen, 63.
“I was over there last fall and I was trying to help a client buy some horses and as I was leaving I thought it would be fun to try this,” he went on.
“I’ve been involved with Wesley Ward before and this is what he likes doing and he said, ‘You gotta get back over there Stevie, they love you.’ So we picked out this horse and we are going to have a go to see if we can do it.”
Holding The Line is a son of Soldier’s Call who was knocked down to Cauthen and Ben McElroy for 62,000gns ($81,000) at Tattersalls in October.
“The horse seems to be fairly nice but we will find out Saturday,” he said. “It’s a tough enough race, I’ll tell you that. But I called Wesley the other day and he said: ‘He’s ready.’”
In the US, Cauthen is forever remembered for guiding Affirmed to Triple Crown glory in 1978 when he was aged 18.
After moving to Britain in 1979 he quickly established himself among the top rank, becoming champion jockey three times. Cauthen, who retired in 1992, won ten Classics, including the Derby twice on Slip Anchor (1985) and Reference Point (1987) and the fillies’ Triple Crown on Oh So Sharp in 1985. All three were trained by Henry Cecil, with whom Cauthen enjoyed an enduring partnership.
“I won pretty much every race they run through the years,” said Hall of Famer Cauthen. “I’ve had a lot of fun at Ascot and success. It’s like Saratoga. It’s like a condensed Saratoga. Just the stakes races run in five days. The best of the best from all over – France, Italy, Germany. Anybody who’s good enough wants to be there.”
He continued: “When I was invited last year to go to Epsom, I thought if I was going I wanted to stay for Royal Ascot. I got to see the new stands. It was very impressive.
“It was fun. I enjoyed seeing everybody. I hadn’t been there for 20 years and it was good to get back. Also my daughter is in London working for Tommy Hilfiger which is another reason to visit.”
Ward, who has trained 12 Royal Ascot winners, said of Holding The Line: “He’s a beautiful colt. He improved in his workouts at Palm Meadows when he was down in Florida on the grass. He’s bred top and bottom for the turf, so I’m anxious to get him on there.”
Cauthen added: “I have a lot of good friends in England, people who were rooting for me when I was there and they are still rooting for me. It will be a big deal if we can do it.”
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