QUINN READY FOR TITLE CHALLENGE Richard Quinn got off to a flying start to the Turf season at Doncaster with three winners at the meeting taking his career score on the domestic front to 1700 and he is looking forward to another crack at the jockeys` championship. Quinn, 39, has ridden in 29 countries and has also ridden around 500 winners abroad, but he has no doubts about which was the most memorable. He reasoned: 'It was my first, Bolivar Baby, at Kempton in October 1981. She was trained by Paul Cole and as it is every young rider`s dream to get his first success. That is one I won`t forget.' Quinn`s tally includes three English Classics, three in Ireland, two in France and two in Italy and when asked what his targets were for 2001 he added: 'They never change from the day you start off as a jockey. Everyone wants to be champion jockey and to win a Classic in a season and that still remains.' Quinn gave Kevin Darley a good run for his money in last year`s title race but had to givebest in the end. He reasoned: 'It was a soft year to be honest, with Frankie Dettori and Kieren Fallon out of the race really, so it was a good chance. 'It didn`t quite come off for me and it is going to be much harder this season with everybody fit and healthy again but I will be giving it my best shot and just hope we can steer clear of injuries and suspensions.' The popular Scottish-born jockey is again number one to the powerful Henry Cecil stable and he went on: 'People say that we didn`t have that good a season in 2000, but Henry had a 30 per cent strike rate, won two Group One races, including a Classic, and over #1million in prize money. 'By most people`s standards it was a hell of a year really and there would be a great many people who would like to have matched those figures. 'Henry is really up for it this season, he is a very competitive man and we look to have a nice lot of horses again, but we haven`t able to work them on the grassyet so we don`t really know what`s what. But we are raring to go.' Quinn has not been riding on the all-weather tracks this winter and he concluded: 'I think a jockey needs a complete break from it after a hectic season and I have come back refreshed and fit and ready to go. 'I was lucky to get on three horses for Bryan McMahon at Doncaster, he obviously has his horses very fit. My weight is good, I will be doing 8st 4lb as I have done for the past 10 years so it`s all systems go.'
