But it could equally apply to the story of Arnolda’s journey from the east end of London to Cadland Cottage Stables at the bottom of Warren Hill in Newmarket. He was the first trainer of black or Asian heritage in Flat racing’s HQ when he received his licence earlier this year, and that is just one among a host of unlikely firsts and Sliding-Doors moments along the way. It is safe to assume that he is also the first trainer to have slept rough on the streets of east London as a teenager.
My dad was off the rails, really. [From 12 years of age] I used to run away and I was just living on the streets for weeks at a time. I remember living in people’s gardens and I couldn’t see any way out, and then you’re on the verge of the gang stuff. I could easily have gone down a very, very different path, because people I knew at that stage have gone down very different paths.” The starting point for Arnolda’s escape from the downward spiral was unexpectedly close to home after a confrontation with his father.
I went from a rough school in east London to going to Wimbledon College. I got all my GCSEs, six As, four Bs, and went on to a law course at college.” By this point, though, an alternative plan had already started to form in Arnolda’s mind thanks to his Saturday routine of watching racing on TV with his foster dad. At 18, he applied for the foundation course at the British Racing School in Newmarket, and sat on a racehorse for the first time on day one.
Less than nine months later, in July 1998, his fifth ride in public, Knave’s Ash, squeezed home by a short head in an apprentice handicap at Thirsk. Arnolda had more than 200 rides and rode five more winners over the next decade, but he struggled to shake off the lingering effects of his tough early years. It’s really tough [to leave the care system], you’re kind of let go.
You’re 18, but you’re not a normal 18-year-old that has had that guided upbringing.” A broken pelvis in 2009 ended his riding career, by which point he had become “disillusioned” with racing. JETS – the retraining scheme for ex-jockeys – helped him to enrol to retrain as a chef. After a spell with the Michelin-starred Andrew Pern in Yorkshire, he moved to Gordon Ramsay’s Maze in London.
Five years on from his injury, though, racing was back on his mind. They were my biggest mentors, and then I moved from assistant at Roger’s to [the Derby-winning trainer] Peter Chapple-Hyam, and he was a massive help too.” Even with a dozen years of experience behind him, however, training in his own right still felt like a step too far from his East End roots. It’s normally handed down, or people have a massive connection in racing.
Extract — continue reading at the source.
