Admiral’s secret is unlocked by potatoes

Victor Dartnall’s advice to his jockey Alan Johns to ride like a sack of potatoes worked the oracle on Admiral’s Secret who won at Wincanton Racecourse yesterday.

The nine-year-old had refused to start twice in his career leading connections to re-think how they train him but he was the convincing winner of the two miles four furlongs handicap chase beating Saintemilion by two and a quarter lengths in an intriguing race where the four starters were all 9-4 co favourites.

“Everything went wrong for him and he just didn't want to race,” explained Dartnall who trains near Barnstaple in North Devon. “So we changed his routine, and we also pony him down to the start, although the pony was a bit fresh today and unseated his rider so he went down on his own!”

Dartnall also advised his jockey to ride like Fred Archer. “We told him to just sit like a sack of potatoes, keep everything long and loose, and don’t gather him up. He’s always been a very honest horse in his races, but he gets excited.”