Dubai: At 51 years of age most athletes have long since exchanged running shoes and Lycra for “sensible” walking shoes and a Barbour coat.

Not so for the remarkable Mike Smith who’s penchant for riding on the biggest of race days when the big bucks are up for grabs, earned him the nickname “Big Money Mike”.

One concession to age is to be selective and take quality over quantity when choosing his rides.

Michael Earl Smith is a product of New Mexico — he visits whenever he can. At 16, he rode his first winner — Forever Man — amazing how appropriate that would turn out to be! A move to New York in 1989 preceded him setting down roots in California in 2001, where he has remained ever since.

Mike’s Role of Honour makes breathtaking reading. Overall he has had nearly 33,000 mounts for 5,400 wins and even more astonishing is that 44 per cent of his horses have finished in the first three or “on the board” as they say in the US. His 25 Breeders Cup wins, three in 2016 alone may never be rivalled.

In 1991 he made history by riding the only ever American trained horse — FourStars All Star trained by Leo O’Brien to win the coveted Irish 2000 Guineas at the Curragh.

Smith was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2003 — Americas highest racing accolade. He’s had the privilege and fortune-literally-of riding many of the US’s greatest horses. Zenyatta the brilliant toe pointing mare who he partnered to 16 straight victories.

Holybull a multiple Graded Stakes winner and Hall of Famer. Songbird who is 11 for 11 with still more to come. Mike says “these top class horses keep me around. I’ve been around longer than I thought I would and I’m blessed to have accomplished what I have and I would still like to add to it.”

Fitness and tremendous physic is his trade mark. Jerry Bailey, Hall of Fame rider turned racing analysts said” Mike had the body of a 30 year old, he is the fittest jockey in America”.

Having witnessed his warm up routine in the jocks room at Churchill Downs I can agree. His muscular but supple body is a sight to behold. He told me “ if these young guys workout for one hour I need to do two, just to keep up!”

Modest and ever humble with a permanent smile on his face.

He loves to help young jockeys coming through the ranks and he was a great help to my daughter Sophie when she first landed in the States from England.

I have heard from both of them the tale of her trying to match him running up the Mount Wilson Trials in Sierra Madre, California. To his surprise she did though Mike was probably carrying nearly his own weight -115lb in a back pack!

In his garage he has a mechanical horse labelled Zenyatta on which he hones his fitness and skills and he was kind enough to coach Sophie on it.

His beautiful home has its own essential Trophy Room that he hasn’t finished filling yet. Will he be taking a Dubai World Cup back home with him ... yes I think so ... Inshallah.

— The author is a former trainer from the UK and the mother of leading international jockeys James and Sophie Doyle.