ROBBIE Fox was enjoying a rare day off on Monday. Since racing resumed in June, there have been relatively few blank days and not many in the sport work longer hours than the valets.

On a typical raceday, Robbie and his van - packed with saddles, girths, boots, breeches, back protectors and lead weights - will arrive at the races three hours before the first race. “In normal times it was four hours but since Covid the racecourses only open three hours before racing,” he says.

Usually assisted by either his brother Paul or Adrian Heffernan, Robbie has plenty to do before trainers start dropping in the colours bags. Boots and breeches are left out for each of their jockeys riding that day, and saddles filled with the right amounts of lead so that weighing out is easier.

Of course, it’s all very different at the moment as the jockeys are no longer based in the weighroom. Instead, the riders just drop by to Robbie to collect their saddles, do a practice weigh out on Robbie’s scales, then weigh out officially next door, before handing the saddle over to the trainer at the weighroom door and returning to their changing area, usually in a bar or restaurant in the grandstand.

“It’s a lot quieter and the interaction isn’t the same, but the system seems to be working well. Also, there’s a lot more space for us to work in the weighroom, which is definitely handier.”

Dirty weather

Wet weather and heavy ground means an even longer day for Robbie, who has to stay behind to wash and dry gear before loading up and heading for home. Every racecourse weighroom has a washing machine and tumble drier, or even two.

“On a really mucky day we could be there anything up to two and a half hours after the last. Flat jockeys wear shiny patent boots, but the jump jockeys wear leather boots and they have to be hung up to dry. You can’t polish wet leather.”

Fox Valeting Services no longer work at point-to-points. “The biggest problem we have is finding staff. The hours are long and you have to work weekends. Try telling a young fella you will pick him up at 7.30am on Sunday to head to Cork and he will say ‘no thanks’. I don’t blame him either! But it’s all I have ever known”

Robbie’s father Dave set up the family business many years ago. Now retired, he was still going racing once a month before the sport shut down in March and this week marked the 63rd anniversary of Dave’s first day as a valet.

All valets are licensed by the Irish Horseracing Regulatory Board and so, in theory, Robbie could find himself in front of the stewards if there was a big problem.

Busy season

Despite the pressure of work, Robbie makes sure not to miss any important family occasion. “The way I look at it is, you have five months of madness every year, from May to September, when there are evening meetings and double meetings. When I get to Listowel, I know there is light at the end of the tunnel, though it was different this year with three Dundalk meetings a week up until recently.”

He says the car could drive itself from his home in Lucan, Co Dublin, to Dundalk Stadium. “The first race is usually at 4pm and I need to be there for 1pm, so I would leave home at 11.30am and that gives me time to make one stop on the way. The last race is at 7.30pm, leave at 8.30pm and be home for 9.30pm.”

Did the van ever break down on the way? “Not to me, touch wood, but it didn’t happen my father one day on the way to Down Royal. The drive shaft went. Luckily, he was able to flag down a horsebox and got the gear to the track on time.”

Christmas is obviously a busy time, though Robbie is grateful that the traditional St Stephen’s Day meeting at Down Royal has been moved a week earlier this year. His yuletide preparations sound a bit like Santa Claus getting the sleigh ready.

“Normally I’d pack two vans on the 23rd, one for Leopardstown and one for Down Royal. I take a car to Limerick myself, with the seats down, so I can pack in everything.

“A week before Christmas, at the Thurles meeting, I’d leave a lot of gear with our Kerry valet, Johnny, and he brings it to Limerick. Even with everything done, I still spend Christmas worrying ‘Did I put the right stuff in the right van?’ You could easily get them mixed up.”