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Christophe Soumillon: 'I Want To Regain My Title'.
It is late August, and you will not be surprised to know that the jockey Christophe Soumillon is not happy currently being 6th in the national ranking. Christophe Soumillon likes the word "enough" only in "never enough". In 2021, he appointed a new agent and, having just turned 40, his only dream is to land another national title and before that, another Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe.
116 races: 16% wins and 47% top three finishes. A few days before the end of the Deauville meeting, do these figures satisfy you?
I am really very happy. The goal was at least one win a day, which it almost was. The horses ran well, and we did a good job for the places. I was disappointed not to win the Prix Romanet (G1) with Ebaiyra. It didn't go as planned at all. As for the Prix Morny, it's the icing on the cake. In recent months, I have become less used to riding for foreign trainers. Perfect Power showed that I was back in the spotlight.
And more generally, this year 2021 puts you at 73 victories to date including 7 listed races, 4 Group 3 4 Group 2 and 2 Group 1 (Prix Saint Alary with Incarville and Prix Morny with Perfect Power).
It's a little below my expectations. I won well for Prince Aga Khan but I would have liked to win a Group 1 with him, especially in the Jockey Club. We always hope to do better. I didn't get far from a 3rd G1 in the Poule d'Essai des Pouliches (French 1000 Guineas) with Mother Earth.
You changed your agent this year with the arrival at your side of Giovanni Laplace to replace Steve Obry: what motivated this choice?
I had come to a breaking point. I no longer had the confidence of some trainers. I've always wanted to win races even though I wasn't always perfect in my behavior. Giovanni was able to rekindle the flame in the trainers' mind but also with me. When he arrived, in 10 days, I rode for 20 trainers with whom I had not worked for a long time. I didn't understand how I came to be the only 3rd, 4th, or 5th pick for them.
Giovanni has a different thought on things. He has excellent intuition, although he has never ridden a horse. He is straightforward but also has a lot of respect. He has a great desire to succeed and maturity despite his age. He also knows that he has to know how to face me from time to time. Our common goal is to get back to first place (Christophe Soumillon has been Champion Jockey 10 times in France, last time in 2018). If I am not next year, it will be a failure. And from this year, I already want to return to the top 3.
Was it the turning of 40 that made an impact?
No, I feel very fit. Finally, I feel very fit now. Since I had the Covid last winter, I have really needed to recover. I can ride up to 55 / 56kg again. Now I can push hard and no longer fear the injury. This ordeal has taught me that my body is capable of getting back into shape. But I had a difficult time, and I can tell you that I was very touched by the applause and congratulations from the public and the trainers after the Prix Morny. They were happy to see me back on top. The only jockey who for me was very strong and difficult to beat was Pierre-Charles (Boudot). With the others, I know that I am armed to beat them.
The Covid, it made me miss the international races in the USA but also Hong Kong which was difficult to swallow because I had to quarantine for 14 days and I could not ride because 1 test in 16 which was " unclear ".
For 20 years, you have been at the top as well as jockeys like Olivier Peslier, Ioritz Mendizabal, Gérald Mossé who are still in the news. Are you too strong or the younger generation too weak to emerge?
These profiles like Peslier, Mendizabal, Mossé, have shown that even injured or left out, they always know how to come back even stronger. When you stop, it's because you can't physically take it anymore, that you no longer have the confidence of the owners. But it's true that I see that there are few young jockeys who have the physique and the talent to stand out. The youngest are already my height and I know that being fit enough to ride at 55kg will be difficult for them.
Since Pierre-Charles Boudot, Maxime Guyon or Mickaël Barzalona, all from André Fabre yard, we no longer see new stars rising, young people capable of winning 50 races per year. The allowance for the girls was a bit detrimental to the boys. And in the women, Marie Velon has to prove that she can still improve. To become number 1, you have to go and gain experience abroad and be mentally stronger.
Has the job of jockey changed a lot?
Yes, the arrival of the agents has changed everything, there is more volatility. It's me who started having an agent, but it is no longer the morning work that allows you to have rides. Agents and fashion have a pretty heavy influence. Obtaining and keeping a ride is difficult. In the morning, I prepare myself overall physically with a lot of attention. Today, taking a weekend is almost impossible. The reduced use of the whip has led to riding differently, it requires more strength to improve the way you push a horse. The changes are not negative. But they have to be gradual so that we can adapt.
The Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe weekend is right around the corner. What is your confidence level?
Snowfall seems the favorite. I will be associated with Tarnawa (trained by Dermot Weld). She will run in the Irish Champion Stakes before racing the Arc. Last year, she won the Vermeille and the Prix de l'Opéra. I think she would have beaten Sottsass in the Arc. She is incredible. She has a real wrestling temperament. The Godolphin horses seem very strong. Adayar was also impressive. For the rest of the meeting, I look forward to the Arc Trials meeting to be sure of my rides.
The end of the year is also the announced retirement of Alain de Royer Dupré, trainer of the Prince Aga Khan horses and with whom you have written pages of racing history.
He's won everything in his career, but I admit it still surprised me when he announced his upcoming retirement 1 year ago. We really want to win another G1 before the end. That would be great. We work very hard. That's why we were disappointed with Ebaiyra. He helped me show the world that I was a good jockey. We were unbeatable. He knows how to have everything tuned and ready to go in a horse for the race. We always scared the opposition in the Classics every year.
Afterwards, the transition is going to be smooth because I was already riding for the other trainers of the horses of Prince Aga Khan. I always want to do my best to make the Princes' colours shine.
You seem to have gained maturity and serenity?
I'm learning from my past, but most of all I want to live in the moment. I work on instinct a lot and need a trustworthy entourage. I am faithful with my friends, my wife. I needed to change agents regularly because I must feel good and want to get up every day with a purpose and a great motivation. I really regained that desire and confidence. The arrival of Giovanni Laplace gave me a boost.
And for the end of the year, given your goals, going abroad is not a priority?
Given the context with the Covid, I will stay in France outside of international meetings and only if the conditions to get there are easy. If there are quarantines, I will definitely skip them. I want to give my all to show that I'm ready for 2022.
