ORISTANO. First the exploit of Ascot, which saw him beat the greatest in the temple of British horse racing, then a brilliant double at Newmarket, which consolidated his leadership in the junior championship. The Sardinian Marco “Linus” Ghiani is the jockey of the moment in England, and a new source of pride for the Sardinian island.
Pwhy Linus?
«My friends called me Marcolino, because I was small in stature. One of them started calling me Marcolinus, which was then abbreviated to Linus and now everyone calls me that ”
How was your passion for horses and horse racing born?
«With the participation in the Sartigliedda. The turning point came in 2014, when I made Su Componidoreddu. After taking the star with a nice descent, my horse sank his foot in a puddle and slipped, I fell, but I immediately got up. The next day I received a message of compliments from the jockey Dario Vargiu. I checked who he was and so I started to get passionate about racing ».
When did you decide to go to England?
«Since there was no possibility to enter the Pisa jockey school, they advised me to go to a school in England, I found it on the Internet. When I arrived I didn’t speak English and it wasn’t easy ».
The biggest difficulty?
“The nostalgia for Sardinia, I admit.”
How do you become a successful jockey?
«I went to the British Racing School, then I started working for Cumani and gradually I improved. I got my license and he gave me the chance to ride my first eleven horses in the race. When he retired I went with Stuart Williams and with him I won my first races ».
The typical day.
“I wake up very early, at 5 in the morning. I’m going to ride a horse. Around 9 am I go home and go for a run or go to the gym. Then I take part in the races, and when I get home I immediately go to sleep because I am very tired ».
Life outside of horse racing.
“When I arrived I was living in the house with other guys, then when I moved to Newmarket I met my fiancée, Brooke Brown, who works there. We started living together and last month, at 22, I became Louie’s dad. A beautiful experience. As soon as possible I plan to introduce him to Sardinia ».
What was it like winning at Ascot?
«Unique, exciting, even more than Su Componidoreddu. I was given 25 to 1 by the bookmakers and instead I managed to win ».
Following his Ascot triumph, two more wins at Newmarket reinforced his lead in the Apprentice Jockeys Championship. Other goals?
«For this year I aim to win the students’ championship, then I would like to be able to win some group races. In my life I would like to be a good father to my son. ‘
The relationship with horses.
«I often talk to them, and often, before leaving, I ask them to win. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t (laughs, ed) ».
The relationship with the other Sardinian jockeys, in particular with Frankie Dettori and Andrea Atzeni. Is there friendship or even a bit of rivalry?
«We are friends enough, only in the race do we become adversaries. We all want to win. In the environment it is said that 2nd place does not count, only who arrives first counts ».
Proud to represent Sardinia?
“Very proud. I am pleased that so many Sardinians follow me and send me messages to encourage me ».
The best compliment. «The great Oisin Murphy told me that by now I had become one of the big boys. I was very pleased”.
The most difficult opponents to face?
“The Irish Ryan Moore and the English William Buick.”
When will we see you again in Sardinia?
“I will rest for a week in November and one in April, we don’t have many holidays.”
Which race would you like to win?
«The Derby. It certainly won’t be this year, but we hope to be able to race it soon ». When will you stop being a jockey do you have a dream in the drawer?
«I’d like to do the Sartiglia, maybe, who knows, Su Componidori. Would be very nice”.
A message for the fans, who cheer at every race.
«I thank my fans so much, the messages they send me always make me happy and give me a lot of strength. I want to tell them that if I sometimes don’t answer, it’s not because I don’t want to answer, but because I’m always very busy and have very little time. I hope to meet them soon ».