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Monday, December 01, 2008, 08:00
TAMWORTH jockey Seb Sanders has revealed that the real work starts now for him after getting the all-clear to start training again following a leg break back in August.
Sanders broke his femur during a pile-up at the Chester Handicap and despite missing the last two months of the flat race season, he still finished in fifth place in the British flat racing championship.
And after enjoying a dream year up until the injury, Sanders is well aware that the hard work begins now to make sure he is ready for the start of the new season in March.
He said: "I spoke to the doctor last week and he said I am ready to start training again for the new season.
"When I heard the news I had the bit between my teeth – and I will need it with what I have got coming up.
"I have got three and a half months to get myself ready but that will go so fast so I need to make sure the hard work begins now.
"I will be hitting the gym, swimming and doing all I can to make sure I am race fit when it matters.
"I will not be getting on a horse until mid-January but from there it will only take a month or so to make up the ground I need so I need to be ready before that."
Despite coming fifth, even with his injury, Sanders admitted he was not as downhearted as he could have been about the injury.
He said: "There was only one real low moment for me and that was when the horse I should have been racing won the Breeders Cup – that was hard to watch.
"Apart from that I knew I was not going to win the Championship again as Ryan Moore was racing superbly throughout, so it was not as bad as it could have been.
"No injury is nice but this one came at a time where it left me with the whole of this close season to get ready again."
The former British flat racing champion added that despite the injury he still would look back on the season just gone with fond memories.
He said: "Looking at it the season I was having was a good one to be honest.
"I had more than 100 winners and got to meet the Queen.
"I also had winners at Jubilee and raced some of the best animals I have in my life.
"I am hoping to build on that next year and am really looking forward to competing again after what will be nearly six months away."
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