LAST season I rode 28 winners and, was runner-up in the conditional jockeys’ championship. It was important that I built on that again this year and, so far things have been going well. I’ve ridden for lots of different trainers and already have 10 winners.

Answer To Kayf gave me my biggest success when winning the Troytown Chase at Navan in November. The following afternoon, I rode an even more high-profile winner on Colonel Mustard in the Grade 2 Lismullen Hurdle. Over the Christmas period I had another winner with Holy See at Limerick and got a great thrill from riding in the Grade 1 novice chase there.

We are dairy farmers at home in Fermoy. My father got us a pony when we were young and from that we did a bit of hunting and showjumping. I got my first job in racing with Brendan Holland at Grove Stud. We call him ‘Blarney’ down here. I was only 14 when I started with him and have been in and out over the years. At the moment, I still go in there four mornings a week. I was only with Brendan two weeks when he sent me up to Ger Lyons. Although I had done the hunting and show jumping, I still had a lot to learn about racing.

Ger must have been happy enough with me because after my fortnight was up, he said I could come back again. I went to RACE for 10 months and spent seven of those on work placement with Michael Halford. In 2017, after finishing in RACE, I went back up to Ger Lyons and signed on as an apprentice.

Three winners

I had a handful of rides towards the end of 2018. The following season, I rode three winners. Handsome Maverick, for Donal Kinsella, was my first. I also rode two winners for Ger.

Unfortunately, I broke my pelvis that winter when a yearling flipped over on me at Gerry Keane’s. I missed seven or eight weeks at Dundalk when I should have been getting my name out there and building contacts.

I struggled when I came back in 2020. That was the first year of Covid as well. With my career at a bit of a crossroads, I thought about making the move down to Australia. However, Brendan Holland got me a job with Kevin Ryan in England.

I went over in February 2021 and, was there until July. I rode two winners; both on the same horse, in the same week, at the same track. Street Poet for Michael Herrington at Wolverhampton.

National Hunt

After I came home, I took it handy for about a month. I decided to switch to National Hunt racing. I went down to Enda Bolger, where I couldn’t have received a better education. I spent a year there and rode my first jumps winner on L’Impertinent at Ballinrobe.

That was for J.P. McManus and, it was great to win carrying those famous colours. I was riding away but only about once or twice a fortnight.

Coming to another crossroads, I left Enda’s and moved back home to Cork. I had been going in to Terence O’Brien one morning a week before I finished up. I continued to do that and went back to Brendan another four mornings.

Terence had promised to give me more rides but I didn’t bank on anything. I think I just took a different mindset and accepted that if it happened, it happened. Before that, I had probably been putting myself under too much pressure.

To be fair to Terence, he put me up on one that won and towards the end of the same week, he gave me a second winner. I ended up riding 10 winners in 2023/24 and nine of those were for Terence.

That definitely helped get me noticed and last season I rode 28 winners, finishing second in the conditionals’ championship. Terence was once again my main supporter but I rode winners for plenty of different trainers.

Great support

Big race winners help get you noticed, so winning both the Troytown and Lismullen was important. I have been lucky to have had great mentors and support.

Ger Lyons was very good to work for. He probably had to knock a few rough edges off at the beginning but he was always on my side. Colin Keane and Gary Carroll are world class jockeys and I was fortunate to ride work alongside them when I was starting off.

Enda Bolger gave me a great education in National Hunt racing and Terence O’Brien has been a staunch supporter.

Since the summer, I am riding out for Willie Mullins one morning a week as well. Again, I couldn’t be in a better place to learn and ride work alongside top class jockeys.

John was in conversation with John O’Riordan