Tristan Durrell must be the only jockey to win the Lanzarote Hurdle and then watch their dad ride in two races.
This article first appeared in the Racing Post on Friday 19th January.
Twenty-four hours after winning the race named in honour of that great hurdler of the 1970s – and completing a double on the Kempton card on Saturday 13th January – Durrell went to Ampton in Suffolk to cheer on his father, Ben, who rode in two races. It would complete the story to say Durrell Snr, 48, also rode a double, but a sixth and seventh on Bonamargy and Seven No Trumps completed a fun afternoon in front of a large crowd. A competitive card and pleasant weather is a magnet even in January.
Ben Durrell on Bonamargy (centre of three jumping fence)
Ex-army, but now a farmer and solar panel installer, Ben rode in his first point-to-point over ten years ago, then stood aside for his son. He says: “We’ve long kept a family point-to-pointer, but then Tristan started riding and I took a back seat. When he became a conditional jockey, I still had an itch and realised I hadn’t completely finished. I started again last season [after four years out], had seven rides and two winners and now I’m waiting for my Cat A licence [to ride against amateurs under rules].”
Ben Durrell on Seven No Trumps (left) gets away from the final fence
Tristan rode in points and hunter chases for five seasons, partnering 18 winners while gradually emerging through the pecking order at Dan Skelton’s yard, which has been his home since he left school. It transpires there is a bit of pedigree on his dam’s side, too, for his mum, Samantha, who was leading up at Ampton, is a daughter of the late Ian Cox, who was assistant trainer to Dick Hern.
Ben, who passes all medical tests with room to spare, says: “I watched Kempton on the telly. The sofa’s broken. Tris has been dedicated to the Skeltons, and, because his birthday is late August he moved there before he was 16. He’s grafted for them and they’ve looked after him. He’s Skelton through and through – they finished bringing him up.
“I’m loving my time in the saddle. Samantha asked ‘Are you sure you want to do it again?’ and I said point-to-pointing is a great sport for old men, because if your eyesight’s poor the fences are 4ft tall and 20ft wide – you really can’t miss ‘em.”
