I HAD never even had a ride at my local Cork track before last Friday night, so to win at the first attempt was fantastic.

I had been very hopeful that Nouvel Espoir would run well, so a lot of my family and friends were there. That definitely made it even better, as they were able to celebrate it with me.

None of my family were actually involved in horses. Both my parents are from Cork City, and only moved down to the village of Ballynoe in 2006. Growing up in a part of the country where I was surrounded my hunters and point-to-point horses, it didn’t take me long to develop an interest.

I learned how to ride from Tommy Hurley, father of point-to-point rider Johnny. Both himself and his wife Anne, are close friends of our family. Tommy, who is Huntsman with the local Conna Harriers, was very good to me.

After learning how to ride on an old pony named Jimmy, I later did a season hunting. Throughout secondary school, I would have rode out hunters for Tommy on a Sunday morning. On the Saturday, I worked for point-to-point trainer Batty O’Connell. He was another man that was very good to me starting off.

Towards the end of secondary school, I did a season pony racing. That came about thanks to Mikey and Dylan O’Connor. They had a 14’2” pony named Jackal that got me going. Then with lads that they were riding work for giving me rides, it just took off from there.

Experience

I rode one winner during that season but the experience I picked up has really stood to me. I spent six weeks in RACE after that, before being sent to Joseph O’Brien. I have been here ever since.

Last season, I had a handful of rides on the turf, before picking up another three or four at Dundalk. On my ninth ride, San Andreas was my first winner on the racecourse. While it was great to get that, when he followed up a fortnight after it was even better. I think I was able to enjoy and appreciate that second one a bit more.

San Andreas is a real stable favourite, with so many young lads at home having got their turn on him.

Earlier this year, I had the chance to ride a few times in England for trainer Christine Dunnett. She had rang up for Dylan O’Connor to ride a horse called Fast Flo. With Dylan not having got his licence at the time, Mikey put my name forward instead.

In January and February, I rode at Wolverhampton, Newcastle and Chelmsford. I loved it over there and, had a great time back and over. I was still picking up rides in Dundalk throughout the winter, so it was great to pick up that valuable experience. Once the flat season started, I had a handful of rides on the turf. Outside of the rides I had for Joseph, I also built contacts with different trainers. As a 10lb claimer, I wasn’t allowed to have an agent, so I made all the phone calls myself.

Rang up

I had ridden for Jimmy Barcoe at Roscommon last season and, a few times at Dundalk over the winter. When I saw Nouvel Espoir entered at Navan earlier this month, I rang up for the ride.

Jimmy and the owners were kind enough to give me the chance. Having finished fourth in that race, they allowed me to keep the ride at Cork last Friday night.

I honestly thought that the horse had a good chance, so I can’t thank them enough for sticking with me. It was actually very straightforward; he broke well, relaxed through the race then took it up over two furlongs out. He was very strong to the line.

Most of my family were there on the night, so that was brilliant. One of my brothers wasn’t able to make it but he watched it at home on television.

I had been going racing in Cork since I was young, so to ride a winner at my local track meant a lot. To do it on my first ride down there was all the better.

Ambitions

One of my main ambitions for the rest of this year would me to get as many rides as I can and build up more contacts. Hopefully, now that my claim is reduced to 7lb, I can get an agent, and that will make it a bit easier. I also want to continue to improve as a jockey.

I am very fortunate to be in Joseph’s, as the more senior riders in the yard are very good to the younger lads. If there is ever anything we need to know about how to ride a particular track or things like that, they are always happy to offer help and advice. Joseph is also a great boss to work for and gives us every opportunity.

Shay was in conversation with John O’Riordan.