Racing: Santos seeks redemption on Volponi in the Classic

It has been a crazy year, another crazy year, in the life of Jose Santos, one of the most notable in the long line of Latino jockeys which have decorated American racing down the ages.

At 42, it is still happening for the man who has been through the almost familiar cycle of early success, destruction and rebirth which seems to characterise so many from his poor background. Excess on the track, quickly followed by even more off it.

The Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes victories of Funny Cide range as this season's twin peaks. Down in the valley lies being jocked off the horse after two defeats and the accusations that he cheated in the Run For The Roses.

They were still clearing up at Churchill Downs when a picture was produced suggesting that Santos's urgings from the saddle were not the only stimulus which helped get Funny Cide home that May day. It was claimed the jockey carried an electronic device to jolt his gelding into action. It was an accusation which sent a real shock through Jose Santos.

"They tried to spoil it for me," he says, "but it didn't bother me. I'm no angel and I've done plenty of things in my career, but I didn't do anything wrong."

Plenty, of course, is close to excess and Santos knew enough about that at the age of 17, by which time his talents had taken him from his roots in Concepcion, Chile, to the headier vista of Colombia. Santos remembers it now. But only just.

"I did a lot of bad things in Colombia," he says. "Drinking, drugs, women, you name it. For five and a half years I was out of control. When I decided to come to America, I knew I had to stop."

At 23, Santos was almost washed up. The demons were running faster than his horses. He sought salvation both further up the continent and also in the heavens. Santos fell to the ground and then looked to the skies when he got off the plane in Miami. He kissed the earth and put his trust in "the Man up there". Two years later, the figures told us, he was the best jockey in the United States.

The Breeders' Cup wins, and there are seven of them, started flowing, but as has become the practice, there were rocks of controversy along the way. In 1990, Santos was attacked in the Aqueduct unsaddling area by a trainer claiming he had pulled his horse. At around the same time, the jockey noticed that his magic did not appear to be travelling all the way down the reins. The phone stopped ringing. "It was like I became a second-class rider," he says, "I don't know what happened.''

Yet from the moment he arrived in America, Santos has proved that finding himself on the floor is simply an opportunity to get up again. He will never achieve greater heights than at Louisville this spring, when the twin peaks were launched beneath the twin towers by Funny Cide.

"It was the greatest moment of my career," he says. "I know that's what everyone always says when they win the Derby, but it's the truest statement in the world."

As for prestige, tomorrow's Breeders' Cup would be on the same plane. By delicious irony Santos now opposes Funny Cide on Volponi, the horse which carried him to a 40-1 success in the Classic 12 months ago. He has been taken off both horses already this season. "When things start going wrong," Santos says, "you can't exactly fire the horse."

Back-stretch rumour that another jockey was to be removed - namely Darryll Holland from the back of Falbrav - appeared to be awry if the sight of the Mancunian on board Luca Cumani's colt yesterday is any indication.

It is not as if Holland is a raw arrival in this quarter of California. "I used to come here as an apprentice for three months over three years,'' he said outside the quarantine unit. "I rode in a couple of races for Gary Jones. Luca arranged for me to ride out for Darrel Vienna this morning before I rode Falbrav.''

Horse and jockey appeared to be in good shape, physically and mentally respectively. "To be honest I am not nervous because I know he is good enough," Holland said. "He is going to look after me round there. He's pretty smart. If you are an American looking at him this morning you would not think he came from Europe. He looks really well and still has his summer coat."

RICHARD EDMONDSON

Nap: Dispol Katie

(Doncaster 3.05)

NB: Crocodile Dundee

(Newbury 2.55)

HYPERION'S TV TIPS

NEWBURY

2.25

The seasoned campaigners in this field look exposed and the three-year-olds Misternando and ANAK PEKAN can dominate. The former was backed from 14-1 to 7-1 for last Saturday's Cesarewitch and looked a little unlucky, but that was a gruelling contest and the selection is fresher.

2.55

Sabbeeh has made a big impression either side of a Royal Ascot flop, but the ground is against him and PEAK TO CREEK looked like a rapid improver when adding the Listed Rockingham Stakes to his win in the valuable Redcar Two-Year-Old Trophy. His trainer has several speedy juveniles by which to gauge the ability of this Royal Applause colt.