Dubai: He is seen as the new face of horse racing, and few should be surprised by that.
In the space of one eventful year, the small but perfectly formed Mickael Barzalona turned into a bona-fide superstar when he won two of the biggest races in the world — the Epsom Derby (G1) and the Dubai World Cup (G1).
But how up front would Godolphin’s exciting stable jockey be when asked to reveal the secrets of his success? “There are no secrets. It’s just hard work, lots of it, and learning from failure,” he said, his English so much better since he took classes in Newmarket during the summer.
At 21, the jockey from Lyon, France, is attempting to deal with the new-found fame achieved after those “dream” victories at Epsom, aboard Pour Moi in 2011 for his former employer Andre Farbe, and at Meydan 12 months ago, when he won the world’s richest race on Monterosso for his new boss Mahmoud Al Zarouni.
Fame and success have come quicker for Barzalona than for most jockeys, many of whom have had to wait several years for big race success.
Barzalona, the nephew of flat and jumps jockey Armand Barzalona and grandson of Corsican trainer Christian Barzalona, was more interested in rugby as a kid but became a jockey on the recommendation of his now-retired compatriot, Sylvian Guillot.
Rapid rise
When asked how he has coped with his rapid rise to success, he responds in a manner you would expect of somebody who has accidentally bumped into you on a busy footpath. He pauses, just briefly, before speaking — always articulating a little less than you would want to get out of him.
“You don’t really plan to be successful, you always want success, but you can’t ensure it,” he said. “When I won the Dubai World Cup last year I was so happy, it was the best day of my life. I always dreamed about occasions like these, even when I was young.”
Asked about his signature style of celebration, where he stands up high in his stirrups waving his crop like a Roman soldier returning triumphantly from battle, Barzalona’s cherubic face breaks into a smile, before he answers: “It just happens, I guess I just can’t control how I am feeling at the time.
“But it’s a fantastic feeling when you win races like the Derby and Dubai World Cup. It’s hard to describe.”
Would he perform the salute again if he won tomorrow’s Dubai World Cup for the second time, despite having been fined Dh5,000 by the stewards for what was perceived as play-acting and flash. “Maybe,” he said. “I don’t know. It just happened in the moment.”
Fantastic opportunity
So what’s it like working for one of the biggest stables in the world and having the privilege of riding some of the best horses ever bred?
“It’s a fantastic opportunity to ride for Godolphin, who have some of the finest race horses. It’s great to ride alongside Silvestre [De Sousa] and work with people like Mahmoud [Al Zarouni], Saeed [Bin Surour] and Simon [Crisford],” he said.
“With Godolphin I have the opportunity of a lifetime. I still have so much to prove, I have my whole career ahead of me.”
Every generation throws up its greats — Lester Piggott was just 18 when he became the youngest jockey in the modern era to win the Epsom Derby on Never Say Die in 1954, while Steve Cauthen became the youngest to win the American Triple Crown in 1978 and Joseph O’Brien won an incredible nine Group One races including three Classics in 2012 as a 19-year-old — and some have suggested Barzalona could belong to this elite list.
“I’m not driven by records, I just want to win as many races as I can and build my career,” he said. “If I become a champion, that’s a bonus, maybe it will happen, maybe not. I just want to try and do my best.”
