'I joke I had an eight-year trial' - Tattersalls' Ross Birkett on life in and out of the saddle

Ross Birkett, newly appointed online sales and marketing coordinator at Tattersalls, has grown up with horses through his mother, trainer Julia Feilden. A top amateur rider on the Flat, he has worked in Australia with Gai Waterhouse and in Dubai. 

Racing is in your blood given your mum is a trainer – tell us about growing up in that environment . . .

I was never pushed into taking an interest in racing but being surrounded by it 24/7, and having your family’s life revolve around horses and their needs, naturally meant I did get involved. I started riding ponies from 11 and then progressed to racehorses at 13 and promptly got run off with on my first time up the canter. It does mean I’ve seen every side of life as a trainer and, although it took me a while, I realised it wasn’t for me.

You're a keen amateur rider and have been champion three times – how did you get into that?

When you’re a teenager riding racehorses you obviously want to take the next step and ride in races as well. I was at school until I was 18 and by then I wasn’t far off six foot, and riding as an apprentice and managing my weight would have been very hard, so I kept as an amateur and went to university instead.

Hollie Doyle: Classic-winning jockey among the talents Ross Birkett has ridden againstCredit: Edward Whitaker

It's been great fun, with plenty of good days, and I've met loads of decent people. It’s amazing to think who I’ve ridden against as an amateur, and many have gone on to bigger things – Hollie Doyle and Sean Bowen to name but two.

Do you still plan to ride alongside your new role?

The team at Tattersalls have encouraged me to keep on riding, although I'll be a bit restricted by when we have sales on here. The racing is always on the TV in the office. and I think the team enjoy having someone to cheer on, plus it helps to keep my face out there for when I'm meeting new and existing clients of the company, as well as sourcing potential horses for online sales.

You're also quite a runner, by all accounts . . .

I'd run a few marathons before and was lucky enough to get a place in the London Marathon in 2014, having achieved my fastest time of 2hrs 59min before that. I then decided to go for the Guinness World Record for the fastest marathon dressed as a jockey. I had four hours to beat, which was no worry, but when I got to the start line there was someone else dressed as a jockey! Luckily I didn’t see him after the start and got the record in a time of 3hrs 8min. Someone broke my time by 30 seconds in 2019, so I’m tempted to have another crack at it for charity when I can get a place in the London Marathon again.

And in terms of your experiences of working in racing/bloodstock, what does that comprise?

While at university in Brighton I had a memorable three years riding out in the mornings before lectures at Gary Moore’s yard, when he was based by the racecourse, and that improved my riding no end, as well as enabling me to see what a big and successful yard looks like. 

Gai Waterhouse: Australian training legend Credit: Edward Whitaker

After graduating I spent three seasons in Dubai for the Dubai Racing Channel as a producer/presenter before heading home to help Mum in the yard as she was expanding at the time. I managed to fit in a winter in Australia with Gai Waterhouse after winning the Alex Scott Memorial Scholarship, all while working for Tattersalls on sales days as a spotter – I joke I had an eight-year trial before they offered me a job!

What does your new role entail? 

I've been working for Tattersalls Online full-time since August alongside Kat Sheridan. We have online sales every month and there's a lot of organising for these, from sourcing entries to helping vendors and purchasers to become more familiar with the platform. It’s easy to use, but we're here to help anyone who needs their hand held. I also help out with live sales when needed, as well as helping the bloodstock team with pedigree editing if things are getting busy.

How have online auctions changed the sales landscape?

Like a lot of things in the world, the Covid lockdown probably brought online sales in a few years before they would have naturally come in, but the support for them has been increasing month on month and the quality of our catalogues has grown as well. Vendors are realising how cost-effective online sales are, without the need for transport and staff costs associated with live sales. 

For a horse in full training, an inexperienced yearling or a mare in foal, taking the stress of the sales out of the equation can be only a good thing, and the support for them is sure to grow. Our list of registered bidders has passed the 2,500 mark and we’ve sold horses to buyers from across the globe.

Do you have a favourite sire or racehorse, past or present?

I’ve always been a fan of middle-distance sires, particularly if they pass on a bit of character to their offspring. Montjeu and Beat Hollow both sired horses I enjoyed trying to figure out, while I was a bit sad to see Sir Percy and Cityscape no longer covering in the UK for different reasons.

Montjeu: one of Ross Birkett's all-time favouritesCredit: MSI Caroline Norris 50% NO PRIVA

Our family owes a lot to a mare called Bavarica, who we bought for very little money as an unraced three-year old from Juddmonte. She went on to win 11 times, including giving me, my sister Shelley and my cousin Adam Beschizza our first winners in the saddle. She's bred a couple of winners for us but is now retired and still lives at the yard as the ‘mother hen’ to the younger fillies in the paddocks.

Do you have a racehorse or sire to watch out for in the future?

You’d be a fool to argue against Pinatubo and Earthlight doing well with their first crops next year, given the looks of their yearlings and how popular they were at the sales. I was lucky enough to see Justify in person on holiday in Kentucky last year and I’ve never seen a more perfect-looking racehorse – his early results at stud are showing he could be leaving a lasting legacy on and off the track.

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