Steady hands on the tiller

13 April 2012

Mark Perrett knew plenty about steering jobs in his day, and it seems little has changed. His vested interest in Tillerman, a horse that could be named for him, gives the former jump jockey a pupil both to guide and be guided by.

Tillerman's planned reappearance was due next Saturday in the Group 1 Lockinge Stakes at Newbury, but will pass if the colt's owner, Khalid Abdullah, decides to run his more feted entry, Observatory.

If so, Tillerman will be rerouted to relative backwaters for a seasonal return that Perrett and his wife Amanda, whom he assists as trainer, hope will lead to high honours. "It has to be very doubtful that Tillerman will be able to run at Newbury," Perrett says. "We may have to go for a race in Italy on Sunday, a Group 2."

There is disappointment in Perrett's voice because a win for Tillerman at Newbury would go a long way to catapulting the five-year-old into the premier league.

As it is, Abdullah's Juddmonte Farms operation sponsors the Lockinge and victory thereby assumes a certain greater priority. Observatory has the form in the book; Tillerman may have to wait.

Perrett has had one hand on the tiller at the landscaped West Sussex magnificence of Coombelands for five years, ever since his impromptu retirement from race riding. He called it quits abruptly one morning instead of setting off for another February afternoon at Plumpton.

It was an unusual end to a 17-year career of 370 jumps wins and more on the Flat, most memorably an extraordinary triumph at Ayr in the 1993 Scottish Grand National. Left almost a fence behind at the start on Martin Pipe's reluctant chaser Run For Free, four miles later he and his mount snatched an unlikely victory from Merry Master at the post.

Poor old Merry Master. He had been about to push forward the claims of women jockeys with a historic win under Gee Armytage. Instead destiny was denied, something Perrett in his new support role seems to be doing his best to amend.

Last season was the best so far for Coombelands under its new wife-and-husband team, 67 wins building on the Guy Harwood legacy of To-Agori-Mou, Warning and the unforgettable Dancing Brave, a horse Perrett would ride in work for his future father-in-law. A string that now pushes 100 horses has increased the feel of salad days to come, boosted by two Group 1 wins last autumn from another smart miler, Indian Lodge.

He is now at stud and with Godolphin buying Ebor winner Give The Slip and Chester Cup hero Bangalore out for the season all eyes, as a result, are on Tillerman.

"He has done exceptionally well over the winter," Perrett adds. "Obviously we hope he will be a top miler, but if not we might have to drop to seven furlongs or even six."

Tillerman's grandest win so far was in a £150,000 handicap at Ascot when produced with much finesse by Mick Kinane. Since then Perrett has sat on the stallion prospect and has come away with the feeling he might well progress from smart handicapper to prospective champion. That he shares a handicap rating of 111, 15lb shy of Observatory, with a certain Nayef hints at the strides that need to be made.

The placing of horses is Amanda's prerogative, fitness, health and conditioning falls to Mark. He still says that what swayed him into assisting as trainer was familiarity with Coombelands horses and its set-up.

Despite all that, his first love lingers. "I'd ride again tomorrow," he says quickly. At 38, Perrett certainly could, but Amanda would never allow it. Besides, he schools their small team of National Hunt campaigners, which seems to fulfil some need. More to the point, it is on the Flat that material riches will accrue and aside from Tillerman, Newmarket maiden winner Reef Diver is a slow-burner, and Demophilos still holds the Derby entry. It is a flotilla of talent needing a steady hand.

Tony Smurthwaite is a writer for the Racing Post

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