In 1995, he was Champion Apprentice, winning 26 races from 200 rides.

Due to the declining fortunes of Spanish racing in the last 6 years, he has found it hard to extend the potential that he showed as a young apprentice.

I have never been as impressed by a jockey as I have by this charming, modest & down-to-earth chap. He has the star material and even rides like Cauthen in the saddle.

As a teenager, he used to ask me to watch from the stands to see if his change of whip hands had been as efficient as he wanted it to be--he is always very keen to improve.

Still only 25, he has already ridden against the world's top jockeys in Soumillon, Peslier, Murtagh, Asmussen, Mosse, Reid, Doleuze, Freddie Head, Richard Quinn, Darley, Pat Eddery, and the Hills twins (pictured here, Jose-Luis on the left, his brother, Matias on the right) and has managed to finish in front of them in Spain and in France.

San Sebastian is now his local track and were it not for two rotten luck stories, on his 18th birthday (15th August) back in 1995, he would have scooped the notable double of the Copa de Oro & Gobierno Vasco.
Riding Alexandrovich and meeting trouble in the home-straight, he was just pipped by Madrileno in the Copa de Oro.

In the 1995 Gobierno Vasco, he finished first on Wavy Run but his mount had swerved slightly due to some ill-placed advertising hoardings 50 metres from the finish and the race was awarded to Eowyn ridden by Oscar Urbina.

He was to gain compensation 3 weeks later when riding the former Group 3 performer in the UK, Shrewd Idea, to a convincing win in the Listed Gran Premio de San Sebastian.

In 2002, Jose-Luis lifted the Listed Premio Kutxa on Poinciana, a filly he gets on particular well with and on whom he had been 2nd in the same race in 2000 & 2001. It was befitting that his brother, Matias, was a half-length behind him on stable-mate Seguidillas.

A week later, Jose-Luis was just pipped in the Listed Premio Gobierno Vasco on another of his favourites, 7 year-old Sand Falcon. The previous year, the pair had won the same race and were looking for the double.

In 2003, he notched a marvellous double agianst the French jockeys at La Teste racecourse near Bordeaux, bringing his total of winners in France to 26. He is also leading rider at San Sebastian through to August 24th, 2003 and was leading rider at La Cenia where from 6 rides, he won 4 races and was 2nd twice.

In 2005, recently married (sorry girls !) , Jose-Luis had a terrific summer at San Sebastian lifting both the Premio Kutxa and Gobierno Vasco again. A week later tragedy struck as a horse he was taking down to the start threw him and then stood on him, causing Jose-Luis to break his leg in 2 places. He started riding again about 3 months later just before Christmas'04.

Jose-Luis's Photo Gallery ...(Photos by Nick Higgins)

From left to right, Jose-Luis in San Sebastian in 2002 and with his twin brother, Matias.

He aspires one day to be called up for an important ride and would like to win a race at Royal Ascot. He considers the best horse he has ridden as Califet, who was later to finish 4th in the 2002 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe and is now in the hands of Godolphin.