Veteran jockey Craig Staples may find himself in the winner’s circle of the Karrakatta Plate (1200m) this Saturday at Ascot, and if he does, he’ll owe a great deal of thanks to long-time friend and trainer Paul Jordan.
The pair share more than a working relationship—they are close mates who’ve built a solid connection through years in the racing industry. And it’s Jordan who convinced Staples to stay in the saddle despite his growing responsibilities as executive chairman of the Australian Jockeys Association.
Staples was prepared to step away from race riding altogether, but Jordan persuaded him to hang on for one particular horse—a talented young sprinter named Castle Road. The two-year-old, who has shown explosive pace and promise, has been worth the commitment.
“Paul is the only reason I’m riding still,” Staples told Racing WA.
“I obviously do a lot for the jockey’s association and that’s my main role.
“I really enjoy riding for Paul; he’s been my main trainer for a while now.
“It would be really thrilling to ride a winner for virtually one of my best friends.”
It wasn’t smooth sailing at first. Castle Road unseated Staples early in their work together, causing a painful injury. Staples considered retiring, but Jordan’s encouragement kept him going.
“Early days this horse he bumped me off and hurt me pretty bad,” Staples recalled.
“I was contemplating giving it up but Paul talked me around.
“He told me, ‘You’ll be right, son.’
“He said I think we’ve got a good one.”
Castle Road delivered on that promise last start with a commanding front-running win in the Listed Perth Stakes (1100m), cruising to the line 3 ¼ lengths clear of his rivals.
The Safeguard gelding has now won three of his five starts and is renowned for his blistering early speed. However, Staples admits it can be a double-edged sword.
“He runs a little bit too hard too early,” he said.
“If he actually starts relaxing, he will go to the next level.
“I’m waiting for him to get used to race days because he still gets stressed out.
“He’s a bit highly strung and can be hard to handle.
“The day the penny drops he’ll be even better.”
Positive signs emerged during trackwork this week, with Staples’ wife Lisa, who rides the colt in the mornings, reporting a noticeable improvement.
“My wife (Lisa Staples) rides him in work, and she couldn’t be happier with him this morning (Tuesday),” he said.
“She said he was quite nice to ride, very relaxed, which is unlike him.
“She knows him best and was pretty thrilled with the way he went around the track.”
Castle Road will jump from gate four in the $5 million feature, and Staples was thrilled with the draw.
“Very happy,” he said. “Thrilled with four, it’s my favourite barrier.”
He expects a tougher contest than the Perth Stakes, with rivals unlikely to allow him the same margin.
“He still is going to lead and probably by a bit, but I wouldn’t say they will let me get away so far this time,” Staples said.
“They will probably be a bit more worried and be right on my hammer.
“He does things early that should bring him undone, but if he starts racing and doing things right, he will be next level.”
In early markets with Tabtouch, Castle Road is a $7.50 chance, trailing only Yes Queen ($2.40) and Talkanco ($5.50).