Jockey Paul ‘Country’ Francis believes that it takes a lot of hard work, determination, dedication and confidence for any rider to win the St Leger, the final leg in the Triple Crown series of races.

Francis, who has ridden two St Leger winners, said that this leg in the Triple Crown is the hardest to win.

“It is every jockey’s dream to win a Classic race and the St Leger is the one that is the hardest to win out of them all. This race comes three weeks after the Derby and many of the horses haven’t recovered quickly enough and some are still tired from that gruelling trip of 12 furlongs, so those factors are to be considered,” Francis told the Complete Racing Guide.

“To win the Leger, which is the third and final leg in the Triple Crown, you have to believe in yourself. It takes a lot of hard work, determination, dedication, and confidence but the most important thing is that you need the horse. If you don’t have the right horse, how are you going to win? “

Francis recalled his two winners.

“I won aboard Allied Force for trainer Noel Ennevor in 2006 and Commanding Chief for trainer Everal Francis in 2011. I can tell you, winning the St Leger with those two horses was very special. The feeling was extremely great. I felt I was walking on clouds. Those were two electrifying moments for me in my career,” Francis recalled.

Francis explained that preparing for the St Leger is not the same preparation for a normal race.

“It won’t be just another day at the Park. You want everything to work out great, because one mistake can cost you your dream, so you have to think quickly and make the right decisions.

“You have to stay calm, relaxed, cool and for sure you can’t over-react,” he said.