SEAN McDermott, the most successful jump jockey in America last season in terms of prize money won, $649,000, with 12 winners and 23 seconds, continues to divide his time between his adopted country and his native land.

Returning to Ireland later than usual in mid-December, he had been keeping himself busy by riding out for a host of trainers, including Willie Mullins, his former mentor Pat Fahy, Mag Mullins, Eoin Doyle and Gordon Elliott and was easing himself back in when disaster struck on the second day of Leopardstown’s Christmas meeting, 24 hours after he had ridden a double at Limerick.

The Kerry native, whose family home is a few miles north of Tralee, commented: “It was nice that people knew I was back, but good old racing dropped me on my head the next day at the first hurdle and left me with concussion and a few cuts and bruises.

“Unfortunately for me and my agent Ruaidhri Tierney, I kept failing the concussion test and didn’t get back until Navan the Saturday before last. I’m back home until mid-March and could take in Cheltenham if something pops up.”

Sean admits to being a home bird at heart but has nonetheless made America his home and is quite content there with his English girlfriend Jennie and his sports visa, which came through in September 2014.

“The next stop for me would be to get my residency visa or to apply for a Green card, but I’ve no plans to apply for citizenship.”

NEW BEGINNING

McDermott’s first link with the states came via a phone call from the late Tom Voss about a horse he won five or six races on for John O’Shea. Voss didn’t buy the mare, but rang Sean back to ask if he would be interested in coming over to ride for him in Saratoga.

That was in the summer of 2013 and the jockey initially turned the offer down because he was going to Galway, but subsequently changed his mind and arranged to ride in Saratoga for three weeks of the six-week meeting.

He said: “I rode a big stakes winner for Jonathan Sheppard and I got a taste of it. The prize money over there is a lot larger, the fields were smaller and generally I was riding good horses. It was arranged that I would go back for the Grand National meeting in Far Hills in October and I was booked for the full card but, due to a visa technicality, I couldn’t make the trip.”

Tom Voss had first call on Sean at that stage, but the following year leading trainer Jack Fisher was beginning to sit up and take notice and the duo joined forces in October 2014 for the last few weekends of the campaign.

Sean recalled: “I had six winners and that helped Jack break the one million dollar mark for that season and become champion trainer outright, so he was pretty happy with me and wanted me to come back the following season.”

The jockey remarked: “2015 was probably my first full season out there and, although it was a mixed one for me because I picked up some niggling injuries that kept me on the sidelines, I rode plenty of big winners at Saratoga and Belmont and finished third behind Jack Doyle (son of Holycross trainer Pat) in the jockeys championship with 13 winners and just short of $530,000 in win money.”

Not a bad return, but there is a downside to American racing, notably the ground. “Generally the ground is good or firm,” said Sean.

“At some meetings you get nice ground, but up and down the east coast, the distances are so vast and the soil types so different, it could be firm in one state and soft in another.

“It’s tougher for trainers who are shipping their horses out and could be on the road for anything from one to 13 hours, but a lot of the owners have private jets. Generally most of the races are in Pennsylvania, Maryland and Virginia and all jockeys’ expenses are paid – it’s the norm. Rather than getting into the car to drive to the races, it’s a question of driving to the nearest airfield.”

Scorpiancer, a winner between the flags for Eugene O’Sullivan, was one of the most-improved chasers Sean rode last term, bagging a Grade 1 in Belmont Park and finishing second to Ross Geraghty’s mount Rawnaq in the Grand National. Straight To It, an expensive American-bred Giant’s Causeway yearling purchase, is another horse Sean likes.

“He was bred to be a top-class horse, but has become a very good timber horse instead.”

DIFFERENT WORLD

Training methods in the states also differ from here, with McDermott explaining: “Generally the ground is a lot quicker and the emphasis is on speed. Trainers try to keep their horses quite fresh, whereas fitness is a much more important factor on this side of the world.”

“Medication, such as lasix, is so widely used that plenty of horses, like Hinterland, Bob Le Beau and Rawnaq, can have a second career over there, an option they might not have had because of the restrictions in Ireland. I’m not in favour of lasix myself, but it does give horses a longer racing career.”

The obstacles encountered in timber races, like the Maryland Hunt Cup, which draws huge crowds, can be unforgiving. Sean said: “The hurdles over there are more similar to French-style hurdles, with the height of Easyfix hurdles.

“With timber racing, the obstacles are quite big and solid, as their name would suggest but, depending on the racecourse, the size and style can vary. Solid vertical rails are popular too and it takes a certain type of horse to adapt.

“Most of the races are three miles plus and the prize money is pretty generous. Handicap chasers from Ireland tend to do well there and I’m thankful for my show jumping background when it comes to riding in some of the timber races.

“A lot of hunts don’t put wings on their obstacles, so it takes a brave, honest horse to jump them and some of the top hurdlers just don’t take to it, they really have to enjoy it.”

Former Irish point-to-point winner Detroit Blues, who won a good novice stakes race last summer, only to pick up an injury, is one horse to look forward to, according to Sean who added: “There is a good market for Irish horses in the states, be it a timber horse or a hurdler and I’m always on the lookout for a horse that might be suitable for American racing.”

NO REGRETS

All in all, McDermott has no regrets about making the move to America, commenting: “Why would I, given the opportunity to ride the best horses? Jack is like a scaled-down version of Willie Mullins and, no matter where you are, it’s all about getting on the good horses. They’re the ones that win.

“There are a lot of very talented riders here in Ireland, but the opportunities just aren’t there which is unfortunate. This was a good opportunity for me and I would have regretted turning it down.”

Nevertheless, he is enjoying being back home for a while, but emphasised: “I try to ride better quality horses now, but, as is the same with any walks of life, there are plenty of below-average horses around. If I’m unfortunate to pick up an injury riding a nice horse before the America season starts, it’s a lot easier to explain to Jack (Fisher), than if it’s a 100/1 chance!”