CROWNED this season's champion apprentice, 19-year-old Jason Hart continues a remarkable trend for his hometown of Hawick in producing some of the sport's top jockeys.
The affable teenager is one of the youngest to win the accolade, and accomplished a personal ambition en route to his superb achievement by riding 51 winners.
He was the toast of the Borders after lifting the prestigious British title at the final Flat fixture at Doncaster last Saturday.
In typically unassuming style, he said: "I've had a great year."
Jason follows in the footsteps of Flat icons, Lester Piggott, Pat Eddery, Frankie Dettori and Ryan Moore, who all won the title, along with fellow Scot, Greg Fairley, also from Hawick.
The Apprentice Jockeys Championship is decided on ridden winners of Flat and all-weather races throughout the campaign from Friday, March 22, to the final race at the Doncaster turf meeting on November 9.
An apprentice jockey can 'claim' a weight allowance of 7lb until they have 20 wins, 5lb until 50 wins, and 3lb until 95 wins (special allowances apply in races for apprentices only).
This season, Jason has enjoyed 384 rides, with a 14% strike rate, accruing a total prize fund of more than £310,000.
Born in Hawick, Jason rode his first winner aboard Spice Bar - a former hurdler with winning form under legendary jump jockey AP McCoy - at Ripon in August, 2011. Hart returned to Scottish soil a few days later to score at Musselburgh on Catallout.
Before joining the senior ranks, he gained experience competing in pony racing on the flapping circuit, where Fairley and Keith Dalgleish also started out.
There are also family connections in racing, through his grandfather, Derek Campbell, a former jump jockey.
Jason was just 15 when he left his home town to join Mark Johnston's Middleham stable after e-mailing the yard in the hope of riding-out there.
"It was a great place to learn," he said. "My first ever ride was on Elusive Fame at Southwell in February, 2011 and I was second, beaten by a quarter length."
Jason then joined Sledmere trainer, Declan Carroll, who provided him with his first winner.
"I hadn't been there for long and it was nice for him to put me on something he thought had a really good chance," Jason continued.
"When you get rides, you are noticed. When you are not getting rides, you are just in the yard. When you are riding, and winning, that's when people latch onto you."
Hart says his role model is Yorkshire jockey Joe Fanning. "Horses just run for him," he says, "and he's always there to give you advice.
"He's so consistent, and that's what you've got to be if you're to keep getting rides," he adds.
While Declan Carroll has provided many of his rides, Jason's talents have also been recognised by many other trainers.
He has an enviable strike rate for Sheriff Hutton-based Tim Walford, for whom he has ridden seven winners from just 11 rides, while Preston handler, Eric Alston, has provided Hart with 97 mounts and 15 winners.
"I think it's important for any apprentice to build up contacts and this season has been good for that," he continued.
"Mr Walford and Mr Alston have been particularly good to me, but I would like to thank everyone who has supported me," he added.
The majority of Hart's rides this season have come from Eric Alston, but he has also ridden his fair share of winners for Carluke-based Keith Dalgleish, whose stable has again been in fine form.
"It was slow for me at the start of the season," he concedes, "but then things got rolling and everything started falling together. I was happy to get to 50 winners before the season finished."
As family and friends helped celebrate his success, Jason admitted: "For so long I hardly dared think about winning, because I had Thomas Brown and others snapping at my heels.
"I'm really pleased with the way the final week went, because I've had four winners, which has pushed me through the half-century, which was a target of mine."
Jason's first major title comes on the heels of him previously being crowned the best young jockey at Haydock Park racecourse.
He topped the BETDAQ-sponsored seven-race Apprentice Training Series by just one point from his nearest rival.
Jockeys' agent, Alan Harrison, is equally proud of Hart's success. "What this kid has achieved is unbelievable," he said. "He's ridden 51 winners and 45 of them have been on outside rides."
Jason spent a winter work riding in the USA at the Breeders' Cup venue of Santa Anita, but has no plans to return this year, nor to ride on the all-weather.
"I don't want to use up what I've got left of my claim. I've got just over 20 winners still to ride to lose my claim and it would be good to start next season with that sort of number to help give me some momentum."
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