Robert Havlin
Robert Havlin, usually known as Rab Havlin, is a Group 1-winning Scottish jockey, who predominantly rides for the John Gosden stable. His biggest victory to date has been the 2022 Fillies' Mile on Commissioning, but he has also won at Royal Ascot - the 2016 Windsor Castle Stakes with Ardad and the 2021 Ribblesdale Stakes with Loving Dream.
| Robert Havlin | |
|---|---|
| Occupation | Jockey |
| Major racing wins | |
| Major races: Fillies' Mile (2022) | |
Career
Havlin grew up on a council estate. His parents divorced when he was three years old.[1] In his teens, in the evenings he worked for a local horse dealer, Alex White and on Saturday mornings, his mother took him to the yard of John Wilson near Ayr Racecourse. After leaving school, Havlin joined the yard full time.[1]
He started out as apprentice at Manton Stables in Wiltshire, originally to Peter Chapple-Hyam, then to John Gosden. This started promisingly, with 32 winners in 1996, followed by 15 more in each of the two following seasons. However, at the time, he had what Gosden referred to as a "wild side"[1], often found drinking in the pub on the estate. The first time Gosden met him, he had overturned his BMW into a hedge.[1]. This loss of focus during his apprenticeship and his number of winners began to diminish. As a result, he fell four short of riding out his claim before he turned 26.
In June 2000, he won his first Listed race at Lingfield on Mount Abu for Gosden.[2] It was another three years before he won another black type race (the 2003 Lancashire Oaks on Place Rouge, also for Gosden) and a further three before he added a third (the Aphrodite Stakes on Quenched, again for Gosden). Gosden was a paternal influence on Havlin and when the trainer moved to Newmarket, although he himself was unable to offer Havlin a job, he instructed him to get in touch if he himself moved there, which he did.
Havlin became pivotal in bringing forward some of Gosden's star horses. He rode work on Golden Horn and Kingman, a horse that in 2016 Havlin claimed was the best he had ridden.
He won the Italian Derby in 2012 on Feuerblitz for Michael Figge. That same season, he formed a strong partnership with Hughie Morrison's filly Coquet, winning two Listed races - the Montrose Stakes and the Height of Fashion Stakes.
In 2015, he had his best year to that date, riding 73 winners from more than 500 rides in the UK[1] and adding the Italian Oaks to his previous Italian Derby win, riding Lovelyn for Peter Schiergen. On Gretchen, he won the Listed Chalice Stakes and Group 2 Park Hill Stakes and on Journey, he won two Listed races - the Upavon Stakes and Nayef Stakes.
He rode his first Royal Ascot winner the following year on Gosden's Ardad in the Windsor Castle Stakes[1]. Other Group wins were on California in the Lillie Langtry Stakes, Richard Pankhurst in the Group 2 Hungerford Stakes and Persuasive in the Atalanta Stakes, again all for Gosden.
In March 2017, he was banned for six months by France Galop after testing positive for five banned substances at Saint-Cloud the previous autumn. The ban was reciprocated by the British governing authority, the BHA.[3] Havlin maintained his innocence and went through a series of appeals, at one of which Gosden spoke forcefully on his behalf.[4] However, the ruling was not overturned and he had to wait out the end of his suspension in October. His seasonal win total of 27 that year was his lowest since 2004 and he estimated that the affair had cost him a six figure sum in legal fees and lost earnings.[4] After this setback, he returned in 2018 to secure his best season numerically to date, winning 127 races for £1,346,189 in prize money.[2] In 2021, he had a second Royal Ascot winner - Loving Dream in the Ribblesdale Stakes.
He won his first Group 1 race after a 30 year wait in 2022 - the Fillies' Mile at Newmarket on the Gosden-trained Commissioning. He had previously won the Rockfel Stakes on her.[5] After the win, fellow jockey and close friend Frankie Dettori paid tribute, calling Havlin "a key part of the team" and claiming that most of his success was down to Havlin having prepared most of the best horses in his life.[6]
In 2023, he topped £1.5 million in prize money for the first time[2] and ended the year 16th in the Jockeys' Championship. Among his big winners for the season were Lord North in the Winter Derby and Audience in the Criterion Stakes
He has been described as a rider with the "rare ability to relax headstrong horses".[1]
He has two daughters, India and Lucia, with partner Kelly.
See also
References
- Muscat, Julian (6 July 2016). "Journeyman arrives". The Owner Breeder. Retrieved 11 October 2022.
- "Robert Havlin - Statistical Summary". Racing Post. Retrieved 16 January 2023.
- Burton, Scott (9 March 2017). "Havlin fails in bid to overturn drugs ban". Racing Post. Retrieved 23 October 2023.
- Cook, Chris (15 August 2017). "John Gosden's plea fails to move BHA panel on Rab Havlin French drug ban". The Guardian. Retrieved 23 October 2023.
- Clark, Graham (23 September 2022). "Commissioning 6-1 for Guineas after scooping Rockfel rewards". Racing TV. Retrieved 11 October 2022.
- "bet365 Fillies' Mile: Commissioning ends Robert Havlin's 30-year wait for Group One triumph with Newmarket win". Sky Sports. 7 October 2022. Retrieved 11 October 2022.