I’ve made my late mum proud with wins in the saddle – and now I’m chasing a first Grade 1 at Cheltenham

More often than not, whenever his mum is mentioned, he is the most composed man in the building. There wasn’t a dry eye in the house at Wincanton when he rode his first winner as a 16-year-old in February 2022 — aboard West Approach for his grandad Colin.

He said at the time: “Mum is probably up there crying now wishing all the best to me.

“It is a shame that she can’t be here to see it but that is life. She wanted me to do my best.”

And you could turn the tear-ometer up to maximum back in November when he rode Elixir Du Nutz to win the presitigious Haldon Gold Cup for his uncle, Joe.

The entire family were there to cheer on Freddie and the gallant grey horse, and they galloped to a famous victory in Exeter’s biggest race of the year.

The jockey’s eyes were a little more glassy this time and he simply said: “Mum would be proud.”

The victory was the cherry on top of a massive few days for Gingell, 18, who barely a week beforehand had achieved a major milestone in the life of any teenager - by passing his driving test.

He is now the proud owner of a VW Golf but, as he has to keep a close eye on his weight, his first visit wasn’t to the McDonald’s drive-thru with his pals.

He said: “I know it’s what a lot of people do but I’ve never been one for fast food really anyway!

“On the day I passed my test the first thing I did was go and pick up my mate and we went and played a round of golf.”

Gingell is pretty partial to 18 holes — if he can find time to squeeze a round in, that is.

If he’s not pinging up and down the country in his new motor to race meetings, he’s on the gallops at his boss Paul Nicholls’ or helping his dad, Dave, on the family farm in Dorset.

He said: “It’s been a quiet month for me, there hasn’t been loads of racing as we lost quite a bit to the weather.

“I’ve been riding out most days and I’ve been back at the farm helping my old man out.

“It’s just me and dad and we’ve got about 300 acres so it can be busy and I like to be hands on.

“We’ve got a herd of beef cattle — I used to throw my leg over them and the sheep when I was younger.

“I love working with animals, whether their farm animals or horses, I could never have been one to work in an office.”

When you have horse racing running through your veins, a Monday to Friday 9-5 was never likely to be Gingell’s calling.

And his promising career will scale new heights at Cheltenham this afternoon when taking his first ever Grade 1 ride on his old pal Elixir De Nutz.

Clearly, he has had some big rides on this lad in the past and has ridden in plenty of top handicaps for Nicholls, but this will be his first taste of the top-flight.

It’s as real vote of confidence from the horse’s 93-year-old owner Terry Warner — best known for owning Champion Hurdle hero Rooster Booster — to put Gingell up in the Clarence House Chase.

He cannot use his 5lb claim in the race and Brendan Powell, who is stable jock to Joe Tizzard, is at Cheltenham and has ridden the horse plenty.

Gingell said: “I’m chuffed to get back on him.

“He gave me an amazing spin at Exeter earlier in the year and I won a nice handicap on him at Newbury after that.

“We are unbeaten together and I’m extremely grateful for the opportunity to try and win another one on him, though clearly it’s not going to be easy.”

You can say that again, with the small matter of Jonbon standing in their way.

Nicky Henderson’s red-hot favourite has only been beaten by Constitution Hill and El Fabiolo, no less, in his entire career. And there was plenty to like about his comfortable victory in the Tingle Creek Chase at Sandown back in December.

But if Gingell has learned anything over the last few years, it’s never lose faith.

He said: “Elixir is a 10-year-old now but on the evidence of what he’s done this year you could argue he is as good as ever, and he was a Grade 1 winner back in his hurdling days.

“He has given me an amazing feel when I’ve ridden him this winter, he is a proper horse.

“Jonbon is going to be hard to beat but you should never be afraid of one horse, there are plenty of odds-on shots who get beat.

“We are pretty tightly matched with Editeur Du Gite who won the race last year, but we beat him last time out and you’d hope we can do so again.

"He’s in flying form at home and my uncle’s horses are in great nick at the moment.

“I couldn’t really put into words what it would mean to win a Grade 1, Exeter was special enough.

“This would probably be on another level.”

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