WHAT a difference a year makes; last Saturday I rode a televised winner aboard Gamesome at Haydock. Twelve months earlier, I was sat at home nursing a broken leg, watching on as Your Pal Tal, a horse I had been jocked up on, won at Musselburgh. Hopefully now that I am back among the winners this season I can push on and add to my tally.

My dad Mark is a partner at Anglesey Lodge Equine Hospital, which is located on the edge of the Curragh. As a young child I loved going to work with him, especially when I got to visit Jessica Harrington’s yard. In fact the very first horse I ever put my leg across was none other than the legendary Moscow Flyer. Head Lad Eamon Leigh lifted me onto the champion chaser in his stable but I was too young to appreciate it at the time. To me he was just another horse but now I realise how fortunate I was to get to sit on him.

By the age of 12, I was riding out in Willie McCreery’s yard where I went on to become an apprentice jockey. I rode a winner on my very first racecourse appearance – Sweetest Taboo at the Curragh in August 2017. After that dream start on my “home” track I thought it was going to be easy; how wrong I was. I spent the winter of 2017/18, ringing up trainers looking for rides in every suitable apprentice race at Dundalk but all to no avail. It soon became clear to be that opportunities were limited in Ireland, so I set my sights on a move across the water.

Big move

Early the next season, I rode winners for Willie McCreery [Sweetest Taboo again] and Patrick Prendergast [Brave Display], while still in school. Shortly after completing my Leaving Cert, I made the move to Declan Carroll’s yard, after Joe Foley, a close family friend put in a good word for me. As I had to reapply for a licence in Britain, it took a few months before I was race-riding again but having finally received confirmation in December, Declan had me jocked up the following day.

I rode two winners in the final weeks of 2018, so all in all, my first season in the UK ended on a high note. The following year I got plenty of outside rides and after Music Seeker won a big handicap at York, I was used by the likes of Kevin Ryan, Richard Fahey and David Simcock among others. Then just as the ball started rolling, I suffered a broken leg which resulted in me missing almost eight months of the season.

My actual injury was a broken heel, so with most of the body’s weight being placed on that area, I was in a boot and crutches for six months and rehabilitating for a further two. During this time I was living back at home but had to make regular trips to Britain for doctor’s appointments. Declan Carroll was incredibly supportive throughout this time, keeping in touch throughout the time I was off. We spoke on the phone most days and whenever I was in the UK he would arrange for me to come to the yard to watch the horses work. I always felt part of the team and never feared that I had lost my chance or wouldn’t get back to where I was. That is mainly down to Declan who has been a brilliant boss to work for.

Recovery

Like any jockey on the sidelines, the hardest part is watching horses you might have ridden go out and win. I suppose if you think about it too much it can really get you down, sometimes it’s as much a mental as a physical recovery.

I had been itching to get back riding in 2020 but the lockdown affected racing like everything else and once the resumption was finally announced 7lb claimers were the last to go back. During the break, I went into Declan Carroll’s to ride out every morning, then spent afternoons with Alan Brown and Adrian Keatley.

We only found out a week beforehand that apprentices were allowed back and my opportunity on Gamesome at Haydock turned out to be a chance ride. I am quite friendly with Tom Midgley and he rang to see if I could do the weight on the horse trained by his dad, Paul. After chatting with the trainer I was given the opportunity which thankfully I made the most of. Since that win I have also been picking up more outside rides, as people are more aware of me and my capabilities.

I am on 10 career winners at the moment, so I need to double that before reducing my claim. Richard Hale, my agent, has been doing a tremendous job so hopefully I can get down to 5lbs within the calendar year. I know it won’t be easy given the few months we’ve missed but it’s certainly something I am aiming for.

Longer term, I just want to ride as many horses [and winners] as possible, build up contacts and most importantly stay injury free. I am very fortunate to have a great boss and stable behind me, while the trainers I ride out for have also been very good.

Cian MacRedmond was in conversation with John O’Riordan