Murray Dodd, who enjoyed two key hunters’ chase victories in the spring on What A Glance, was yesterday set to take his first ride as a conditional jockey.
Dodd, 23, went to Worcester to take part in the card’s final race, a handicap hurdle (5.00), on Prince De Juilley for his boss, Shropshire trainer Alastair Ralph, but his mount was withdrawn during the afternoon due to unsuitable ground. Horse and rider teamed up at Warwick in late May when Prince De Juilley won an amateur riders’ handicap hurdle.
Of the decision to leave behind his amateur status, Dodd (pictured above with What A Glance at Stratford) says: “I’m 23 so it was a case of now or never. The offer was made to give it a go and it was an opportunity I couldn’t turn down.”
His association with What A Glance proved a happy one when the partnership won at Cheltenham’s evening hunters’ chase meeting ,and then at Stratford where they landed the Pertemps Network Champion Hunters’ Chase for the Horse & Hound Cup. What A Glance is trained by Ralph’s assistant, Tom Britten, who handles the horse for his grandmother, Ann Taylor.
Dodd had to accept that becoming a professional jockey means he will not be able to ride What A Glance in hunters’ chases, and says: “It’s taken a lot of thought – I’ve been trying to convince Tom to run the horse in rules races, but I think the plan is to stay in hunters’ chases and the dream would be to go to Cheltenham. He’d have a chance in that judged by the way he ran in the spring.”
Dodd and What A Glance (nearest camera) are neck and neck with Deise Aba (Charlie Case) at Lockinge, but had to accept the runner-up spot
Born in the Scottish borders, Dodd’s first job in racing was with Donal Whillans before he moved south to Dan Skelton’s yard. Skelton’s assistant, Nick Pearce, was training a few point-to-pointers at that time, and his Workbench provided the Scot with his first winner in early 2020. He went on to win the West Mercian area novice riders’ award and was third in the national championship.