d'Arcy hoping for Haven success

Ask Paul d’Arcy to name any of his winners as a jockey and he would be hard pushed to remember them.

In his time in the saddle d’Arcy was what in boxing parlance you would describe as journeyman and although the winners did come he was not one to dwell on them.

“I never kept track of them, it was just a job to me,” he admitted.

D’Arcy never rode a winner at Royal Ascot despite getting the leg up at the prestige meeting on many occasions for Sir Michael Stoute for whom he rode for 10 seasons.

“I had no success as a jockey at Royal Ascot despite riding there several times. I just wasn’t on the right horses,” he smiled.

However, now in his sixth season as a trainer, d’Arcy is hoping to saddle his first Royal Ascot winner – at the expense of his former guv’nor.

D’Arcy targets his Entenmann’s Irish 2000 Guineas winner Indian Haven at Tuesday’s St James’s Palace Stakes and sees as his main danger the Stoute-trained recent Kempton Park winner Kalaman.

“I think it is the best three-year-old mile race in Europe,” said d’Arcy

“Obviously Kalaman is a big danger. I saw him win the Heron Stakes, it was the same day as the Irish 2000 Guineas. I thought he was very impressive and would improve so I think he’s a worthy favourite.

“A lot of people have said my horse has won a Classic and that Kalaman has only won a Listed race but he looked impressive enough that he would improve.”

The Green Ridge Stables trainer revealed Indian Haven is still in good form but it wasn’t always so.

“My horse came out of the Irish race very well,” he said.

“He only lost 12 kilos which, having travelled over there by road, having the race and travelling back, was tremendous really.

“He put the weight back on very quickly. He doesn’t have any peculiarities but like all good horses he’s had his problems.

“He once suffered from a quarter crack, which to the uninitiated was a crack in his hoof. We had to be patient but he came back well.”

Indian Haven, who also landed the Victor Chandler European Free Handicap at Newmarket in April, will be d’Arcy’s third runner at the Royal meeting.

He saddled Tankersley who finished mid-division in the Britannia Stakes in the trainer’s first season back in 1997. While Lady High Havens finished sixth in last season’s Coronation Stakes.

Although his best season produced just 18 winners, d’Arcy admitted his policy is for quality to triumph over quantity.

“My aim is to keep on winning Pattern races to get black type for my owners.

“At the beginning of the season my last runner at Newmarket before the Free Handicap was First Magic.

“He’d won a Listed race and my next winner was Indian Haven, he won the Free Handicap, which was another Listed race.

“So, although we don’t win many, I try to target races.”

The Irish Guineas success has made people sit up and notice d’Arcy’s operation but he is aware that there is still work to be done to add to his 30-strong yard.

“Yes, it brought a bit more interest but I’ve got to follow it up for it to create a lot more owners,” he said.

One loyal owner is Walt Sylvester who has been with d’Arcy since day one and knew him way back in his days in the saddle.

“He owned Tankersley. I rode my first winner as an apprentice for him, I trained my first winner for him.

“And I wish I could have trained my first Group winner for him but, unfortunately it didn’t happen.”

Tuesday will be a big day in the training career of Paul d’Arcy.

On the day following Indian Haven’s Irish success, d’Arcy revealed his former boss paid him a visit.

“Sir Michael brought a bottle of champagne round on the Sunday morning but, unfortunately, I had missed my flight from Ireland and got home late so missed him.”

Maybe Stoute will call again on Wednesday.

D’Arcy is aware though for that to happen he might just have to outfox the Vodafone Derby-winning trainer.