SINCE racing resumed after the break, I have a perfect record of wins to rides: three from three. I know it’s an anomaly and can’t continue but for now it least it makes for pleasant reading!

Over the coming weeks and months, I just want to pick up as many rides as possible and hopefully add at least a few more winners before the end of the calendar year.

Up until my final year in primary school, I had never even laid eyes on a racehorse. Although born in Ireland, I spent my early years in England but when I was 12, the family relocated back home. We moved to the stud farm in Co Kilkenny where my mother had grown up.

As a young kid, I started helping the lads around the farm, mucking out and feeding the horses. In time that led on to riding a pony, jumping a bit and messing around with a few horses belonging to my cousins.

Eventually I got a pony of my own and during secondary school I did a lot of show jumping. I represented St Kieran’s College in schools competition and jumped in championship class around Ireland. I jumped up to 110-120 level but by transition year I had discovered racehorses so left the show jumping behind.

I spent a week working for my uncle Tom Mullins just before Christmas and really enjoyed the experience. It had such an effect on me that I went back in for the holidays and at every opportunity I got after that.

Leading names

It was only around 13 or 14 that I realised the Mullins family were leading names in Irish racing and the family had been involved with some legendary horses over the years.

Growing up in England, I knew nothing of horses or racing so all their achievements had passed me by. As a teenager I came to appreciate what they had won both collectively and as individuals.

After finishing in school, I decided to give racing a go full-time; committing to taking a year out to see if I could make it in the sport. I spent my first season with Tom who basically taught me from scratch and brought me on as a rider. My cousin David [Mullins] has always been very encouraging and supportive of me, even to the present day.

Back then he helped me with any questions I had and was always on hand to offer advice. Nowadays, he still sits down with me after every race, going through the replays, telling me what I did right or wrong. It was David who suggested that I move to Gordon Elliott’s yard, as he felt I would get more experience there.

I started in Gordon’s just after the Punchestown Festival last year [2019], a month after I had originally been due to. Unfortunately, I fell and broke my hand days before the start date, so had to wait another few weeks before taking up employment.

Experience

Over the last few seasons, I had a handful of rides in bumpers, more for the experience than anything else. Tom and Tony gave me a few spins, as did Gordon Elliott. Gordon also put me up on a few horses in point-to-points and I also had a ride in a hunter chase for the stable.

Just six weeks after starting in Gordon’s I had another injury which meant I missed a further two months racing. So, up until the current season it had been a bit of an on/off learning curve, never quite getting a clear run at things.

Like everyone else involved in racing, I was itching to get back during the break, feeling as though my chance would never come. I continued to ride out at home every day throughout the lockdown so it was more or less business as usual in that respect.

I was hoping to pick up a few point-to-point rides for the stable when racing resumed but to be honest I wasn’t expecting to ride on the track straight away. I was actually at the dentist the morning I was jocked up on Talk Of The Town, so knew nothing until I came out and saw a few texts from the lads.

Gordon had a much better fancied runner in the same race so to be honest I wasn’t expecting to win when I headed for Kilbeggan that evening. In the circumstances, the stable ended up having a one-two with my horse coming first, ahead of the odds-on favourite.

First winner

Most jockeys will tell you that they didn’t really get to appreciate that first winner, as everything just passes you by on the day. That was definitely the case for me anyway, it was all over in a flash. Luckily I didn’t have to wait too long for the second winner, as within a month I had another on the board courtesy of Mars Harper.

I certainly enjoyed that Ballinrobe win much more than Talk Of The Town – I suppose I felt under less pressure having ridden that initial winner. My third win, on Breakeven at Tipperary, was as special as the first two, if only for the fact I rode it for Tom Mullins, the man that got me started in the sport.

Without his support and guidance in those early years I wouldn’t be where I am right now, so I have plenty to be thankful to him for.

Along with David and Gordon Elliott, Tom has undoubtedly been one of the biggest influences on my career to date. Jamie Codd and Lisa O’Neill are two others that deserve a mention as they will always walk the track with me before racing or advise me on a horse if they have ridden it previously.

The owners that gave such an inexperienced rider as myself the opportunity have to be given credit also as without their faith I wouldn’t be able to show what I am capable of.

Having only had 16 rides in my career thus far, the main aim in the short term is to gain further experience and develop as a jockey in the coming months. Hopefully if I can do that, the winners will come as well.

Hugh McOwan was in conversation with John O’Riordan