Joey Ramsden
All I can say is, been there, done that, survived it! A week at Planet Hydro. It is without doubt the toughest thing I have ever done in my life. Those martians were trying to starve me while I was there and I was on liquids for 4 days. However, I was tougher than that and have come back bigger (figuratively speaking), better and stronger than ever.
I have to say that it is the most amazing place; brilliantly organised with fantastic staff and I could not have been looked after any better. Thankfully, I have never been in prison and will now be avoiding it at all costs. I am sure some would like to prosecute me for crimes against literacy but a stay at the hydro must be the closest thing to being in prison. I found it soul-destroying and extremely hard to do. But I served my time and have bounced back with a fresh outlook on life and raring to go for the season ahead.
It was smashing to see the family looking so well after coming back from the health farm. It is a complete and utter different world while there and for the first time in my life I think I can understand how tough it is for jockeys to lose weight, whether they be slightly overweight or a little more on the large side, like Andrew Fortune – and this is not meant in any way to be detrimental to him.
Going to places like the hydro and the place in George which is also beautiful and extremely well run, no matter how nice they look when you drive past, they are tough places to stay at and even tougher to try and shed those extra kilo’s. While I was at the hydro, one of the masseuse told me that Andrew Fortune managed to lose the record amount of weight there – 11 kgs in two weeks. When one is 5 ft little, that really takes some doing. As for poor old Bernard Fayd’Herbe, who is naturally skin and bone, how he does it is a total and utter mystery. And whilst I will still moan at him when he is half or one kg over, I will not moan quite so loudly. It really is not easy to shed the weight and I view them through new, respectful eyes.
As for my good friend, Anton Marcus, I think there is still a little work to be done there but it is not easy losing that type of weight. It is even harder for these guys to maintain a “normal” lifestyle. So to Anton, my fellow muffin-eater, I salute you. That is with or without your bio rhythms. I have had an interesting morning looking at – hopefully – some exciting prospects and decent horses in the offing.
I was extremely pleased with the way our first-time runners went on the weekend. On that basis, we should have some fun and a decent season ahead of us. Lots has been happening in the sporting world. Racing at York looked extremely good and was impressive and I thoroughly enjoyed that. From a sporting side, having watched Manchester City annihilate Newcastle the other day, I was extremely pleased to see them get beaten. Not that I am a total Manchester City hater – although I was last season as I thought their manager was a complete pain in the butt – but because I would like to have quite a good bet on them for the championship this season. They will leak quite a few goals, I feel, but they can also score quite a few. They could well be Kevin Keagan’s Newcastle of yesteryear.
Sadly it is my dreaded birthday coming up this week. I usually blow a few bob on my birthday dinner but have been saved this year by my daughter, Holly, who is singing in some concert in Goodwood. So to all my many, many friends out there; I am not being tight this year but genuinely have other commitments.
