I’ve long desired to ride in Jamaica – Maragh
Four-time Breeders’ Cup winner confirmed for lucrative Mouttet Mile
Published:Wednesday | November 16, 2022 | 12:13 AMOrane Buchanan/Staff Reporter
HAVING MIGRATED from Jamaica at the age of 13, Rajiv Maragh, now 37 years old, plies his trade on the American circuit, on the foundation of a stellar career in which he has ridden over 1,600 winners, inclusive of the Florida Oaks (2009), Louisiana Derby (2010), King’s Bishop Stakes (2011) and the Kent Stakes (2013).
The four-time Breeders’ Cup champion is in Jamaica preparing for the lucrative Mouttet Mile, the richest single-racing event in the Caribbean, set for Caymanas Park on December 3. The event carries a purse of US$125,000.
According to Maragh, his long-awaited appearance on local soil couldn’t have come at a better time.
“I’ve long desired to ride in Jamaica, because that is where I derived my passion for horse racing. Jamaican horse racing is what really inspired me to become a jockey, so to have an opportunity to ride here, at this point in my life, I consider it a blessing,” said Maragh.
Despite being born in a family where he saw his father, Collin Maragh, become a successful trainer and and his uncle, Allen Maragh, a successful jockey, Rajiv believes becoming a jockey wasn’t natural.
“It was implemented into me right away. I was involved in it (horse racing) from birth and there wasn’t much of a challenge to get into the sport. However, the transition to being a jockey wasn’t easy, especially in the beginning. When I started, I wasn’t really good at it, I wasn’t really a natural athlete so it was tough to develop the skills of being a Jockey. It took me about a year, just to learn the basics,” he added.
With December 3 fast approaching, Maragh is pressed for time to get into “race shape”, admitting that he has been out of the saddle for a while.
“I didn’t have riding on my mind for a long time, because I was out of the saddle and pursuing my other business venture (road jockey) so I lost a lot of my race fitness. I don’t want to ride and not be at my ultimate peak so that’s challenging because the time is fast approaching and I’m not where I want to be,” Maragh believes.
Still, there is no overwhelming nervousness for the jockey, despite the high stakes of December 3.
“I’ve never felt nervous for a race because I have my strategy or my technique so it’s just to focus on the race. If you focus on what your duties are, then it will take away the nerves, and that’s what works for me.”