Jockey Of The Week: One on one with Ben Allen

Fresh off creating history as the first winning jockey on the new Caulfield Heath track, Group 1-winning rider Ben Allen jumped in the 'Jockey Of The Week' hot seat.

We talked about his journey in racing, his DJing, copping a 3-minute spray from a well-known owner, and plenty more.

1. Firstly, how did you get into racing?

I was pretty much born into it. My Dad trains, my brother was a jockey, so it was just what I was always set to be growing up. I guess I could have pursued something else but being a jockey was always the first preference.

From the moment I started riding trackwork around 13 or 14, I just lived and breathed it. I used to go down to the track a couple of years earlier than that and ride my pony around the trotting ring until one of Dad's trackworkers blew up because his horse was terrified of the pony. 

2. What's the best thing about being a jockey?

Getting to celebrate the big wins, because you have to work so hard to achieve them. I haven't won that many at the very top level but I've been lucky enough to win quite a few Group 2s and 3s and I like to celebrate them properly. 

3. So if you think you're a big chance in a Saturday feature race, will you try to avoid Sunday bookings?

Pretty much, yeah. I do like to have the next day off so I can enjoy it a bit more. When I won the race to get into the Cox Plate on Pinstriped, I remember I was riding the next day at Sale. Danny O'Brien's racing manager called my manager to check whether I was still going to be arriving at Sale on the Sunday. He obviously had his doubts but I managed to make it to that day after being responsible and leaving The Osborne early.

4. What's the worst thing about being a jockey?

All the travelling and wasting. And the early mornings for trackwork, which is basically free labour from jockeys. It all adds up and you've really got to be at 100 percent at the races but 95 percent of the time you're tired from everything in the build-up to the main event.

5. What's your natural riding weight - the weight you can get to without really starving yourself?

Right now I'm around 58 to 59kg, which is good for someone of my size. The last few weeks I've been able to really dial my weight down and I've been riding Sundays and Mondays, which stops me from putting weight on. When I first got back from a break, I was around 61kg.

6. What would you be doing if you weren't a jockey? DJing?

Probably not a DJ to be honest - there's not much money in it unless you've got the patience to sit at a computer and actually produce music, which I have little to no idea about. So it would probably be a trade of some sort, or farming.

7. How's the DJing going?

It's going alright but I'm trying not to do it as much because when I play I need to have a few drinks just to loosen up and feel comfortable up there, which obviously isn't ideal for my weight. If I'm stone-cold sober I'm like a deer in the headlights - I get pretty bad stagefright which probably comes as a surprise to some people. It takes me a bit to warm up and start enjoying it up there.

8. Any musical background?

I have no background in music whatsoever. The only instrument I played was the trombone in high school, and I sucked at it. We had to pick an instrument and I was last to pick and got stuck with it. I was that kid who got stuck with the trombone.

The worst part was I grew up on a farm and the front gate from my house was about 800m up a hill, so I had to lug that bloody thing with me and I would've weighed about 38kg wringing wet.

9. Who was your top artist on Spotify last year?

My top artist was actually Lee Kernaghan, which is pretty weird. I don't mind my country music but I think my second one was Kylie Minogue. Always love playing a bit of Kylie on a night out, she's a real crowd-pleaser.

10. Well, the 100-1 pop has lobbed with Lee Kernaghan. Back to racing, what's been your most memorable win or moment in the saddle?

One of my favourite's was the first winner for my Dad, Lardie Lass (at Mornington in 2015). My most memorable would probably be Marabi in the (2022) Oakleigh Plate because of the build-up and how strict I had to be with my diet. Most times when you have to cut weight you have to be really strict but for it to pay off like that, it was an unbelievable feeling.

The other one was Pinstriped getting into the Cox Plate for EJ. He was one of my biggest supporters when I first started out, so to play a part in one of his biggest wins was huge.

*Allen had to get down to 54kg to ride Marabi to victory in the 2022 G1 Oakleigh Plate.

11. Favourite track to ride?

For the atmosphere, The Valley. The atmosphere there on a Friday night and on Cox Plate day is second to none. It's like being in a velodrome and the sound is crazy. To ride where horses get every chance, it would be Flemington and Pakenham.

12. Least favourite track?

Anywhere that is more than two hours away.

13. What is your go-to blowout meal?

I'm not too fussy but you can never beat a good steak. One place that does a very good steak is Bunny Bar in St Kilda. Not many people would eat there because it's a nightclub but if you can bring yourself around to actually eating there, the food is crazy good. 

14. Best horse you've ridden?

In an actual race, probably Marabi. Once upon a time I got to punch Nature Strip around in a jumpout, which was pretty exciting. Sir Dragonet and Hitotsu are another couple that come to mind. I rode the latter in a Caulfield Guineas and then he went on to win the Derby. He was a very serious horse and it's a shame we didn't get to see more of him.

BEN ALLEN YOU ARE NOW A GROUP 1 WINNER 🙌🙌

He takes out the Oakleigh Plate on Marabi!@cmaherracing & @eustacedj pic.twitter.com/eGfbHyBJK9

— 7HorseRacing ðŸÂŽ (@7horseracing) February 26, 2022

15. Which trainer gives the best spray?

I certainly copped a fair few sprays as an apprentice. Weiry's sprays were pretty good but they were mostly at the trials or jumpouts. I do remember copping a very good one from an owner at the races though, Anthony Mithen. It was actually one of Weir's horses at Flemington, Split Lip, and I reckon I copped it for about three minutes. 

After I was told how they (connections) wanted the horse ridden, I went to Deane Lester who was doing my form and maps at the time. Deano and I came up with a bit of a different tactic and that's what I went with. Anyway, Mitho thought I had come out of the gates with no plan and was just winging it - and he really let me have it. I remember Weir and Jarrod (McLean) were just standing behind him half-smiling as he was giving me a serve. I thought it was pretty harsh, especially given the horse was big odds. Mitho and I get on quite well but we got our wires crossed that day. 

16. Biggest pest in the jockeys' room and why?

It would be a dead heat between Fred Kersley and Liam Riordan. Kersley loves nothing more than coming up and touching you if you have something new on, or going through all your gear and pulling everything out and then not putting it back where it was. Liam Riordan goes in because of his laugh. He cracks a joke and then laughs at himself and the laugh does me in.

17. Which jockey spends the most time in front of the mirror?

Probably Fred. A man who loves his fragrances and making sure he looks good and smells good.

18. Best gags/storytelling ability of the jocks?

Craig Newitt. I remember when he moved back to Tassie after he left Melbourne, I really missed storytime with Froggy. I used to enjoy going over to Tassie just to listen to the stories he'd have, He's got some rippers and he tells them so well.

19. Favourite sport and team outside of racing?

AFL, but I'm not a die-hard supporter. I still love watching it on TV and getting there when I can. I grew up following Geelong but I'm pretty fairweather and I've kind of switched to Collingwood a bit because of one of my best mates being an absolute Pies tragic. 

20. That won't go down well with the Cats faithful. As a general rule, three-wide no cover or three-back the fence? 

If you end up three-back the fence through no real fault of your own, it's not a bad position because you're not left with many options. You need luck and if it doesn't come, you're not really the one to blame.

21. Favourite drop of alcohol or favourite beer?

Favourite drop to have a good time, quickly, would be Suntory. Especially after riding light on a Saturday, they can really send you on your way. When I was living with Stacky, we had a few Suntorys in the spa and we weren't far off drowning.

If I'm not looking to get too pissed, I'll stick to the Good Tides. 

22. Race you'd most like to win?

I'm not fussy but I'd love to win a Cox Plate mainly because of the atmosphere. It's a pretty incredible two minutes of sport. 

23. Any advice/pearls of wisdom for young apprentices starting out in the game?

If you're already 5 foot 9 like me, I wouldn't even bother, because it can be pretty miserable at times.