The Argentine jockey shared his feelings after El Kodigo's performance in the Saudi Cup, where the horse finished in thirteenth place
By Diego H. Mitagstein (Special correspondent for Turf Diario in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia)
RIYADH, Saudi Arabia (From a special correspondent).- The adrenaline had already subsided, and leaning against one of the posts surrounding the jockeys’ room entrance at King Abdulaziz Racecourse, Gustavo Calvente stared into the distance. Juan Saldivia and Gustavo Bayón were there too, all visibly affected by El Kodigo’s (Equal Stripes) performance in the Saudi Cup (G1), the world’s richest race, where he finished second-to-last, ahead of only fellow Argentine Intense for Me (Fortify).
"You feel bad for the horse, not the result. We know what he’s capable of. But you also have to understand that the changes were a huge effort, competing against horses of the highest level. It was clear he was a bit more upset. The change in distance, the journey, it all adds up and affects the horses,” said Gustavo, resigned after living one of the most significant moments in his career, despite the result.
He then reflected: "He was running close, upset, at a strong pace, but when we hit the turn, he felt the speed. He got tired and gave up. We know how good he is, but, definitely, it's very difficult for us to come and compete against this level of horses in such a short amount of time. It’s very tough."
The pace of the race was a key factor for Calvente, and he elaborated: "He was running with them, and that’s when you realize the horse has it. But after that, the effort took its toll. Up until the bend, he was running great, with a nice action. Once he changed leads, he wasn’t the same, and I didn’t want to push him unnecessarily. I always tried to take care of him, because obviously, you know, you have faith, you believe in him, but these races are very hard."
Asked whether the track might have influenced El Kodigo’s fatigue, the jockey explained: "It’s very different from ours. He had accepted it well during the week, he likes it, but in competition, it’s another story. I believe it did play a role, he had breezed but hadn’t worked. And of course, the track is more lively, harder. Our horses are not used to running on these kinds of surfaces. But, well, it’s a combination of factors. The track is great, but our horses aren’t adapted to that type of ground. A little bit of this, a little bit of that, the horses feel it, and things didn’t end up as we expected."
On his professional experience being part of the world’s richest race, Calvente confessed: "Yes, obviously, you’re disappointed by the result, but thanks to the horse, we were able to live all of this, which is huge. It gave me a lot of satisfaction and brought me here, now we just hope he doesn’t feel the effort too much and bounces back for what’s next. There are lessons to learn, both from the good and the bad, so we’ll keep working to have better results and compete again. We’ll work for that to happen."
