A SCOTTISH National win on Kap Vert at Ayr last Saturday was the highlight of my career so far.

I’ve been based with Philip Hobbs since I came to England 12 and a half years ago, so to ride that winner for him and Johnson White made it even better. The syndicate that own the horse, If The Kap Fits, have also been great supporters of mine during that time.

My family is heavily involved in racing, so it was nice to add my own chapter to our story. I grew up in Dunvargan, with uncles David and John Kiely training either side of us. Two more uncles, Pat and Maurice Phelan, trained in England, while both Michael and Eamon are stallion men.

Myself and my brothers started off on ponies like every young lad. After pony club, there was a lot of hunting and show jumping. As soon as we sat on a racehorse though, there was no looking back.

All three of us managed to make our careers within the sport of racing. I am the eldest. Conor, who rode successfully as an amateur, has done very well since taking out his trainers’ licence before Christmas.

Youngest brother Niall rode a Grade 1 winner over jumps before injury forced him to retire around this time last year.

I rode out for David and Breda Kiely while still in primary school. During secondary, holidays were often spent in England with Pat and Maurice Phelan. I also spent some time with my godmother Bridget Mullins, riding out for Willie (Mullins) while I was there.

Point-to-points

I had a handful of rides in point-to-points at home, mostly on a horse of our own named Maguires Cross. Things were always going to be tough in Ireland, so I decided to come over to England.

A man I used to ride out for, Pat Breen, was friendly with Seanie Mulcare, travelling head lad for Philip Hobbs. Through that connection, I got the chance to come over to work for Mr Hobbs. I came over in 2013 and spent two seasons point-to-pointing before riding under rules.

I had close to 200 rides, riding 20 winners. Almost 11 years to the day that I won the Scottish National, I rode my first winner on the racecourse, on Dancing Olga at Newton Abbott.

I spent a further season as an amateur after that but rode less in point-to-points and more under rules.

In 2017 I turned conditional. I rode a winner on a horse called Eddy for Sue Gardner on my first ride. That got the ball rolling straight away and I ended up having a solid season with 20 winners.

I rode Regal Flow to win the Midlands National for Bob Buckler in March 2018. I also rode Man Of Plenty to win a listed race at Sandown for Sophie Leech that year. I spent four seasons as a conditional before riding out my claim on a horse of Mr Hobbs’ named Earth Lord at Ascot in December 2021.

More chances

With Richard Johnson retiring from riding that same year, I moved up the ranks a bit. Two years later, Tom O’Brien did likewise and I got more chances. Both lads were very good to me from the time that I arrived in the yard and I learned so much from them over the years.

Richard continues to support me through his Richard Johnson Racing Syndicate and I was thrilled to ride a winner for them on Kikijo at the Cheltenham November meeting.

I rode Captain Hugo to win the Morebattle Hurdle at Kelso in February. That would have been my biggest winner before the Scottish National.

I hadn’t ridden at Ayr for eight years before last Saturday. On my last visit I rode Regal Flow in the National. Captain Hugo was my first ride back at the track and he ran a massive race to finish second in the Scottish Champion Hurdle. The heavy ground probably got him beat. He is a horse to look forward to on nice ground next year.

Extra mile

I was more hopeful than confident about Kap Vert in the National. He had seen out three miles well in his races but going an extra mile was a bit of an unknown. When we were going out on the final circuit and he was still travelling well, I was conscious of his suspect stamina.

Relief and joy

With just one left to jump, I had to ask him to go and win the race. I think it was a mixture of relief and joy when he won. Philip Hobbs and Johnson White have been so good to me since I first came over here. It was massive to win a big race like that for them.

I have always been very proud of both Niall and, Conor and what they’ve achieved in their careers. I’m the only one of us still riding, so I have that much over them!

I’ll never forget the day Niall won his Grade 1. I was riding elsewhere that afternoon and Tom Bellamy told me about the result as soon as I came in. I can’t remember where I was when Conor trained his first winner at Gowran but I know I watched it on TV in the weighing room and probably made more noise than I should!

If there is one thing I’d still love to do in racing it would be to ride a winner for Conor, especially in our parents’ colours.

Sean was in conversation with John O’Riordan