Jamie Spencer set for American move

Former champion jockey Jamie Spencer has reportedly relocated to continue his riding career in America.

The 46-year-old has won British title twice, being crowned champion in 2005 and sharing the spoils with Seb Sanders two years later, while he was also champion jockey in Ireland in 2004.

Also a multiple Classic-winning rider on both sides of the Irish Sea, Spencer has claimed multiple big prizes on North American soil this year, most recently winning last weekend’s Canadian International on Charlie Appleby’s Arabian Crown.

And according to Daily Racing Form, he is to make a make a more permanent move to Southern California.

“Why not come here and see how it goes,” he said in an interview Thursday.

“I’ve been working in the mornings here and hopefully I’ll be busy at Santa Anita and Del Mar.

“I’ve been travelling quite a bit lately.”

Spencer, who has ridden only 18 winners in Britain this year, announced he would be retiring at the end of the season in August 2014 to take up a role as special adviser for Sheikh Fahad’s Qatar Racing, for whom he had been riding for the previous two seasons.

However, by December he had reversed that decision and went back riding as a freelance.

Despite his many achievements in the saddle, which include a big-race double at Kentucky Downs on Richard Hannon’s Haatem the Johnny Murtagh-trained Take Charge Star only last month, Spencer has yet to win a race in California.

“Hopefully we can rectify that,” he added.