RIDING a winner at Punchestown on Ascending Lark last week meant a lot. All racing people want winners at the big festival meetings. Like everyone, I’d love to get a winner at Cheltenham or Aintree one day but any festival winner is not easily done. Being an Irishman, coming over here and winning at the Punchestown Festival was special.

My father always had horses, so myself, my brother and younger sister did plenty of hunting, show jumping, pony club and all that goes with it. I had a few rides pony racing as well but never had any joy. Around the age of 12, I started riding out for local trainer Danny O’Sullivan at home in Mitchelstown.

My brother Eoin was already in the yard, so I followed him in. While I was still in school, I had my first ride in a point-to-point for Sean O’Brien. In March 2009, he gave me my first winner on Macialim in Kilworth. I was in and out of his yard on weekends and holidays.

After I finished in school, I went up to Tom Taaffe in Kildare for a year. I had a few bumper rides and rode in amateur races under rules.

Although I didn’t ride any winners, it was a great experience being in a track yard. Danny and Sean had some for the track but were mainly point-to-point men.

I went back down home and rode on the Cork and Waterford point-to-point circuit for a season and a half. I had a good season the first year I left Taaffe’s but the second one, even though I had plenty of rides, I didn’t have as many winners. I had thought about going to England for some time. Other people had said it to me as well.

Making the move

I had been over to Wales to ride for Rebecca Curtis during a couple of the off-seasons in point-to-points. After getting a bad fall in early 2012, I decided to just kick on and make the move to England full-time.

In February, I went over to Donald McCain who got me my conditional licence. The chance to join the McCain yard came about through Paul Cashman.

I rode my first winner on the track on Mulligans Man at Perth in September. I was with Donald McCain for a year-and-a-half and it was a big experience. After that I spent a year as conditional jockey to Rebecca Curtis. She had some good horses in the yard at that time and I rode five winners for her.

In the summer of 2014, I moved on to Colin Tizzard. He had plenty of Grade 1 horses there at the time. I used to ride out Thistlecrack every day. I schooled Native River plenty and also sat on Cue Card a few times. The second year I was there, was a good season for me. I had plenty of rides and finished up with eight winners. Things got a bit quieter the third year, so I decided the time was right to move on. I’d given it a good go and really enjoyed the experience. From 2017, right up until three years ago, I was based with Charlie Longsdon. I rode out there four days a week; getting around to other yards the remaining days.

Pam Sly and Henriette Knight, both of whom I started going into around that time, have been very good to me. I rode one of my biggest winners to date on Castafiore for Charlie in a Grade 2 Novices’ Chase at Haydock in 2019. I had known Harry Derham since his riding days and we’d always salute each other at the races.

New start

Harry called me out of the blue a few years ago to tell me that he was starting training. He asked if I would be interested in coming in to ride out and it basically just went from there.

Even before he had all his training modules done, I could tell that Harry had something different about him. He already had a string of horses in the yard while waiting to get his licence.

From a very early stage, it was obvious how driven to succeed he was. No corners were cut. His horses were very well looked after and trained to the minute. Although just starting out, he knew exactly what he was doing. Myself and Harry get on well together and have had plenty of good winners.

The season just ended has been our best to date. I rode my best tally of winners since coming to England. In December, I ticked off a notable success when Harry brought Washington over to Fairyhouse to win a big handicap hurdle. It was the first winner that I had ever ridden in Ireland, something I was keen to achieve for a while.

To come back home and win at Punchestown last week with Ascending Lark topped off what has been an incredible season. She has been very well placed all season. To win six from six over hurdles is not something you see that often. She had every right to step up in grade at the Festival but we were more hopeful than confident.

Harry is already planning for next season, having bought plenty of new horses. It’s important for the yard to keep progressing and building. Hopefully we can kick on next year and maybe find that horse to take us to the next level.

It would be great to be going to the big festivals with live contenders in some races. Personally, I just want to ride more winners, try to be consistent and do the best I can on every ride that I get.

Paul was in conversation with John O’Riordan.