Confessions of a race jockey

TNP FILE PHOTO

They may be the stars on the track and are always clad in soft bright silk tops, commanding the adoration and awe of fans and punters.

But glamorous isn't exactly how this jockey would describe his profession. His glistening silks - loud and colourful so commentators can identify the horses at a go - get muddy within minutes of the race starting.

They have to be at work by the crack of dawn for daily track work and they obsess about not gaining too much weight to avoid putting a strain on the horses.

It's also common to be thrown off a horse and one can even break bones.

But the macho man confesses to having a soft side: He loves the beasts and will whisper sweet nothings to them before a race starts to calm them down.