David Bass was the special guest on episode two of Unbridled with Matt Chapman…
David Bass is not like any other jockey. Even among his weighing room colleagues, he’s always been seen as a little bit different.
Whether it’s his unique taste in music, his politics or his vegan diet, Bass does things his way.
He joined Matt Chapman and Paddy Brennan as the special guest on episode two of Unbridled to reflect on his recent split from trainer Kim Bailey, life as a freelance ride and his memories of steering the great Sprinter Sacre to victory.
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Q) What was the thinking behind leaving Kim’s in the summer?
“I had a long association with Kim and it probably came as a surprise to a lot of people that I did leave. Kim was brilliant to me for a long time and very loyal.
“There was no fallout but I was desperate for a change. When you’re so involved in one yard for so long, I did just get quite sour.
“I got obsessed with one yard and those horses and I found it quite draining in the end.
“I knew I was giving up good horses like Chianti Classico and Trelawne, but I just really needed to do something different.”
Image:
Kim Bailey (left) and David Bass with First Flow
Q) You’ve looked more relaxed in your riding, how are you finding freelance life?
“I feel like it’s going really well. It’s completely different now. I feel more relaxed race riding.
“I’m riding out for six different yards in the week and have gone back into places I used to ride for, like Nicky Henderson and Ben Pauling. I’m really enjoying the new routine.
“It was the right decision on a personal level.”
Q) You famously rode Sprinter Sacre on his chase debut in 2011 when you were a young 3lb claimer with Nicky Henderson, that must have been amazing…
“It’s absolutely crazy to think about it. I can’t believe I rode him.
“I was living with Nico [De Boinville] at the time and he used to ride him every day. He said to me: ‘You do not realise what you’re riding!’
“I didn’t appreciate it enough. Back then I just thought of it as another winner.
“For Henderson to put me on him for his time over fences when I was a 3lb claimer was just unbelievable.”
Image:
Sprinter Sacre jumps to a famous victory in the 2016 Champion Chase
Q) How do you find being a vegan and managing your riding weight?
“It works for me and I feel a lot better. It helps keep my weight level and also I’ve become a lot more knowledgeable about nutrition. When I was a young jockey that wasn’t really spoken about.”
Q) What was Paddy Brennan like in the weighing room?
“Paddy was an absolute lunatic. Very, very entertaining to sit next to for 15 years. You didn’t know what mood he was going to be in or what was going to come out of his mouth.
“I remember one day, I’d been riding a few winners and an owner had said to him: ‘You need to ride more like Bass.’ Paddy didn’t like this, came back into the weighing room and was like: ‘Ride like you? There’s more finesse in an ice cream!'”
Watch Matt & Paddy Unbridled on the At The Races YouTube channel and podcast platforms.
