THE last two years have seen Corkman Brendan Walsh make a breakthrough in the training ranks in the US, first with the grade stakes-winning mare Proctor’s Ledge, then in the spring, he added the UAE Derby with Plus Que Parfait and and on Saturday, he trained his first US Grade 1 winner with the impressive Godolphin-owned and bred Maxfield at Keeneland.

The Godolphin homebred son of Street Sense's win in the Breeders' Cup Challenge Series “Win and You're In”, Claiborne Breeders' Futurity, earns an all-fees-paid berth to the Breeders' Cup Juvenile at Santa Anita in November.

Walsh said: “I always knew (winning my first Grade 1 race) would be special but to win it here for these people (Godolphin) it's extra special. Fantastic. Indescribable."

Sean Clancy had caught up with the trainer two years back in Saratoga when he was seeking a graded win with Proctor’s Ledge............

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Hours before the first race on opening day at Saratoga, Brendan Walsh leaned on his tack room door and drifted for a moment. Just for a moment, the Irish-born trainer allowed himself to think about what it would be like to win the Grade 3 Lake George with Proctor’s Ledge to break his lifetime (well, six years) losing streak at the Spa.

“If you could win one, just one, your meet is made…”

Consider it made.

“How about that?” Walsh said, as Patricia Moseley’s Proctor’s Ledge galloped back to the winner’s circle after taking the Lake George. “We have more suitable horses this year, they’re more proven horses, I would hope we get lucky and win a race or two. I think you have to be here, people see you have a presence here, that’s important.”

Walsh, 44, is making his presence here and everywhere.

Proctor’s Ledge helped push Walsh’s earnings past $2 million this year, already ahead of last year’s total. Walsh has increased his win total each year he’s trained, gradually going from four to 10 to 21 to 28 to 45 wins in 2016. With 38 wins this year, the trend should continue upward.

“You have to pinch yourself from time to time,” Walsh said. “But at the same time, I never lose perspective, every morning I try to work harder than I worked the day before.”

It’s working.

Maxfield with Jose Ortiz up wins the 2019 Claiborne Breeders' Futurity for trainer Brendan Walsh and owner Godolphin Stables, 2019 \ Photo Keeneland

Growing up on a farm in east Cork, Walsh convinced his father to buy him a pony, planting a seed that’s produced ever since.

“As long as I remember I was just obsessed with them, my father finally gave in and bought me a pony,” Walsh said. “I either got run off with or fell off him every day for two years. My father said, ‘You were very determined about the whole horse thing, any kid that had that happen to him every day would have just quit.’”

Walsh went from the pony to the apprentice jockey school, then went to the Irish National Stud course, bounced to Coolmore for a bit, Godolphin, Newmarket, Dubai, France and eventually to America to work as an assistant for Eddie Kenneally. Always determined to train, Walsh hung his shingle in 2012.

Honorable Duty, Scuba, Cary Street and Bye Bye Bernie have earned Grade 2 wins. Saham, Auntie Joy, Reporting Star and Proctor’s Ledge have contributed Grade 3 wins.

“Now to get that Grade 1…” Walsh said.

Once again, allowing himself to drift. It won’t be long.

Speaking after Saturday's win, Walsh said of Maxfield: "I'm normally pretty conservative with them and if it was going take him a couple of runs to break his maiden or even three runs, that was going to be fine with me. We haven't really turned the screws with this horse at all. He naturally does it."

Maxfield was the first on Saturday - but it looks like it was the first of many.