Tom Bellamy searching for first Grade One success on Paisley Park in Saturday's Long Walk Hurdle at Ascot, live on Sky Sports Racing; Bellamy replaces the suspended Aidan Coleman; Bellamy: "In my younger days, I probably didn't take it seriously enough"
Wednesday 15 December 2021 07:09, UK
It has been a long road to the Long Walk for jockey Tom Bellamy and victory in Saturday's feature at Ascot will represent a repayment of faith for those who stuck by him during his days of being a "party animal" and a "playboy".
Bellamy goes in search of his first ever Grade One winner, deputising on board Emma Lavelle's defending champion Paisley Park, with regular rider Aidan Coleman suspended.
The former Stayers Hurdle victor could provide Bellamy with a career-high moment in what is already shaping into a personal-best season for the 27-year-old.
"I'm on cloud nine at the minute, it's a massive opportunity to get," Bellamy told Sky Sports Racing.
"It's unfortunate circumstances with Aidan [Coleman] suspended but he has been really helpful so far and talked me through everything.
"I've ridden a piece of work with him and he wouldn't set the world alight but he struts about like he's got a bit of class.
"In his younger days, he was a bit of a monkey and caused carnage, but he's a bit older and wiser now."
Lavelle goes back to basics with Paisley Park this weekend after trialling cheekpieces and a more prominent ride when finishing third in the Long Distance Hurdle at Newbury last month.
The nine-year-old has now failed to win in four starts since running down Thyme Hill at Ascot in December last year.
"The headgear and riding him more forward last time didn't really work," Bellamy said. "He hit his flat spot at a later stage and then didn't have time to get going again.
"You're never going to get rid of his flat spots, it just needs to happen at the right time."
Bellamy's career appears to have come through its own flat spot, with the jockey on course to break last season's top tally of 37 winners.
That number was as low as 12 in the 2018-19 campaign, with a strike rate of just 6 per cent, despite Bellamy appearing to have broken through the season before with victory on Nigel Twiston-Davies' Splash Of Ginge in the valuable BetVictor Gold Cup at Cheltenham.
"I'll be honest, in my younger days I probably didn't take it seriously enough," Bellamy said.
"I rode a Cheltenham winner at the November meeting early on in my career and probably didn't appreciate it enough and didn't use it as a springboard like I should have.
"I was a bit of a party animal, a bit of a playboy, just young and immature. I thought it was just going to come easy.
"It probably all happened a bit quick and then I didn't know why it had slowed down.
"I've grown up as time has gone on. I've always wanted it but I've realised, with time, that you have to go out there and work hard for it."
Two disappointing seasons led Bellamy to contemplate quitting the saddle, but support from Lavelle and fellow trainer Alan King helped spark something of a renaissance, although he reserves for particular praise for Twiston-Davies.
"I've always felt that my riding was good enough but you need the chances," Bellamy said. "Now my rides are better and I'm connected to two massive yards [Alan King and Emma Lavelle] and lots of others as well.
"I'm very lucky to have the support behind me and I'll try and keep everybody happy and hopefully repay their faith in me.
"Away from Alan and Emma, I've really got to thank Nigel Twiston-Davies because I was at a stage when my claim had gone, had two really quiet seasons and wasn't far off giving up.
"Ryan Hatch unfortunately had to retire through injury and Nige gave me chances on the big stage when he really didn't have to. Selling me to owners can't have been easy at that stage and he managed it.
"I got on Splash Of Ginge at the right time and he won a big race. It didn't take off from there but that was definitely the starting point.
"I had my best season last year in terms of numbers and been lucky to win some big handicaps in my career but I've said all along that I'd love to get that Grade One winner.
"Rides in Grade Ones are hard to come by so to have one with a live chance is really exciting. If it did happen, it would be a big repayment of faith."
