Jockey Charlie Deutsch insists strict weight cut was worth major wins this season… as he sets sights on more glory with Gemirande

Charlie Deutsch makes it sound as routine as being asked to stay behind for an extra hour in the office but, as we soon discover, his task was anything but mundane.

Deutsch is stable jockey to Venetia Williams and is having a fantastic season. He has been a man to follow on a Saturday, with a golden period before Christmas yielding a raft of big race wins, including the Grade One Betfair Chase on his old favourite Royale Pagaille.

But none was more deserved than the one on Gemirande, the type of strapping jumper with which his trainer excels, at Cheltenham on December 14. Yes, there was finesse in the saddle but the foundation was laid by a week of fasting – this is a remarkable tale of discipline and self-control.

Deutsch had to get down to close to 10st to make the weight and such was his determination to get there, he even felt guilty for having a sliver of smoked salmon the day before the race. Here, if it was needed, was the latest proof that a jockey’s profession is truly like no other.

‘I knew I had a certain amount of weight to lose, so anything you eat is a negative eat really,’ Deutsch, who is chuckling, tells Mail Sport. ‘Even that bit of salmon, I started thinking to myself: “Ah! Have I eaten too much!” You know what you have to do but you’re never certain you’ll make the weight.

‘A lot of jockeys don’t even mention it. They carry on, win the race and nobody thinks any more about it. I’ve done that before and I’ll do it again. I had a meal – incredibly health – at the beginning of the week and, each day, narrowed it down. I’d have a nibble on something to keep hunger at bay.

‘If I was really hungry, I’d have the corner of something or a bit of fruit. I know what you’re thinking – and it is amazing what jockeys do on a day-to-day basis, when you hear most people complaining about their jobs – but I wanted to ride the horse.

‘The adrenaline of riding a horse like him gets you through it – you forget about the tiredness and the hunger. If I didn’t do it, someone else would get on him. I want to be the one who experiences the joy of things going well. I don’t want to see someone else getting that joy.’

Happily, there has been plenty of joy this winter and there could be more this afternoon. Gemirande (150) is back for another spin, with a weight that hasn’t meant a week of water and dry crackers, and there is also the enticing prospect of L’Homme Presse in the Cotswold Chase (225).

On an afternoon to savour – how could it not be when the outstanding Constitution Hill is in action (300)? – there will be chance for Deutsch, a keen rugby fan who would like to visit Twickenham, to showcase his talents and prove why Williams has been prepared to invest so much faith in him.

‘I’ve had a lot to prove to Venetia but I’ve been there a long time now,’ Deutsch explained. ‘She has confidence in me and understands why I do things in races. She also knows I understand how she likes her horses to be ridden. We both agree on a lot of things.’

They also agree on the opportunity that is in front of Deutsch in the newly created David Power Jockeys Cup, which runs alongside the Jockeys Championship. It has been designed to make weekends matter and Deutsch, who is eighth in the table, think the innovation should be applauded.

‘There is an edge in the weighing room now and you can feel it,’ said Deutsch, aware that the higher you climb up the standing, the better the financial rewards. ‘There is a lot more talk about it and it’s great. I’ve had a good season and I’m in the top 10. But I know I can’t rest on my laurels.’