Evergreen Adelaide jockey Paul Gatt enjoyed a day out at Morphettville last Saturday, booting home a treble. After the meeting, TRSA caught up with ‘Gatty’, who was suspended for his winning ride on Rapid Raiser.
G’day Gatty. When was the last time you rode a metropolitan treble?
It was last season some time, but I couldn’t be 100 per cent sure.
Do you think you’re in the zone at the moment?
Yeah, I feel like I’m in good form. My body feels good and I’m getting a little bit better opportunities lately.
Can you feel the difference between when you’re in good form and when you’re maybe a bit off the pace?
You do know when you’re in good form. For example, on Saturday I couldn’t do anything wrong – besides being suspended. When you’re not riding winners, nothing seems to happen for you, but when you’re on a roll things tend to happen – and I think that comes down to confidence.
It was a great win by One More Jack in the City of Marion on Saturday. Was that your first sit on him?
I jumped him out on Monday morning at Strathalbyn, but that was my first race ride on him.
He’s a tough animal. He loves a fight and I think he’s going to run him the Christmas Handicap in a couple of weeks. He’s got an unbelievable record. At the Morphettville 1200m I think it’s four from five now, so back there again in a few weeks he’ll be very hard to beat. I’m tipping he’d nearly be favourite on Saturday’s performance.
It was 19 years between you riding Suzy Grey to win the 2001 City Of Marion and last Saturday’s win.
Yeah, it doesn’t seem that long. I’ve been riding for 25 years all up.
So how’s the body feeling?
I’m in no pain from injuries or anything. I feel 100 per cent and I seem to be enjoying it a bit more.
In what ways are you a better jockey now, than when you rode Suzy Grey all those years ago?
I have more patience and I’m better at reading races, but more than anything, I don’t get too uptight about things. I used to get home and curse about getting beaten on one, but now it’s more like ‘It is what it is’. I think when you have a family, things come into perspective a bit more, you know what I mean? It’s not the end of the world when you get home. I leave my work at work, that’s probably as much as anything.
Just finally, you would’ve had a bit to do with Ned Walker over the years?
Yeah, I had a few rides for Ned. He was a very nice man. When they mentioned it to me on Saturday I could just picture his face, when he was handing out colours a couple of times when I’ve ridden for him.