OVER the years we have seen those that didn’t quite make it to the top as jockeys go on to be highly successful trainers. Perhaps they just had to work that much harder behind the scenes or were more hands on in their daily roles.

For whatever reason, it is something we have seen time and again. I failed to scale great heights as a jockey but recently trained a 1000 Guineas winner here in Australia.

My family always had horses at home when I was growing up but we were involved with harness racing, not thoroughbreds. Dad had competed as a showjumper in his youth but after a bad accident he had to retire.

From there, he got into harness racing, something my older brother was also passionate about. I helped out at home as a kid; feeding the horses, mucking out and riding. However, that was as far as my interest went in those years.

After doing my Leaving Certificate, I saw an advert for a job with racehorse trainer Oliver Brady who only lived a few miles away from me. He had some very nice horses in his care at that time including graded performer Balapour.

I spent a few months there doing general yard duties but wanted to broaden my experiences further so took a job with Pat Flynn down in Carrick-on-Suir.

During my time with Pat I took out an apprentice’s licence and rode on the flat. I realised very early on that I wasn’t going to make it as a jockey, something that probably helped me in later life. I found myself watching everything that went on around the yard, paying particular attention to the little details I may otherwise have missed.

Apprentice

After a year, I returned home and went back in to Oliver Brady, this time as an apprentice jockey. I also started to ride a bit for John McConnell as well, including a couple over hurdles. It was actually a bad fall in that latter code that eventually forced me to call time on my race-riding career. I went back to education to study engineering in Dundalk but found it just wasn’t for me.

I dropped out after first year, having made plans to go to Australia for a few months. However, I ended up putting those plans on hold for a time, as an opportunity arose to go work for James Halpin.

He was undoubtedly the best trainer I was ever involved with – just such a natural horseman. I learned so much from James, who was particularly good with horses who had issues.

Australia was always in the back of my mind and in 2008, my friend and I finally took the plunge. It was only ever our intention to stay for six months, travel around and work a bit.

In Melbourne, I took a job as a track rider for leading trainer Danny O’Brien. He had sent out that year’s Caulfield Cup winner, as well as the fifth-placed horse in the Melbourne Cup. I was just curious to see how racing in Australia compared to back home; I had no plans to get back into horses.

The one big difference I found was over here, you spend maybe 15-20 minutes on a horses, whereas at home it could be 40 minutes or even an hour. It is all about speed work and interval training, as opposed to the stamina work we tend to do.

I ended up staying with Danny O’Brien for over a year, before doing some more travelling, which finally saw me arrive in Perth at the stables of Danny Morton. The latter was a very decent jockey who has gone on to be an equally successful trainer.

Scenic Blast, a horse I rode in much of his track work, was sent over to win the King’s Stand Stakes at Royal Ascot during the first season I was in the yard. Danny sponsored my stay in Australia, so I was a full-time employee, who had to work 40 hours a week.

It was a great opportunity for me, as I learned so much behind the scenes, being on hand every day. Aside from track work, I went racing regularly and did general stable duties.

Online auctions are very popular over here; once you get an agent to check the horses first. I bought a filly for $1,000 out of a broodmare sale in Queensland, which I trained to win a couple of races. I wasn’t the official trainer at the beginning but later took out a licence in my own right. We subsequently sold that filly and I used the proceeds to expand and set up a proper training operation.

Getting a licence

It was relatively easy for me to get a licence as I had some great references from my time over here. Having started out with four horses, I now have 16 in at the moment. I don’t want to get too much bigger numbers wise, as I feel that’s a good number to manage.

The Irish have been very supportive of me over here, with many getting involved in the yard. Irish Moshe, a horse that has won a few times for us, is owned by lads all from Ireland.

There are 20 of them involved so you can imagine the atmosphere at the track when he races. After his recent win under champion jockey William Pike, commentators described the cheers as being like those reserved for a Group 1 winner.

Lonsdale Lady gave me my biggest success to date when making all to win the 1000 Guineas at Ascot in February. Although she had been a relatively unconsidered outsider, I really fancied her, as she had been boxed in on her previous start and I felt stepping up in trip would suit. She has won two from six to date and will return later in the year for an autumn campaign.

Despite her big race success, Lonsdale Lady isn’t even the highest-rated horse in our yard – that accolade belongs to Cockney Crew. Owned by a bunch of English lads, he was just beat a head in last year’s Schweppes-W.A.T.C. Derby (Group 2) by Regal Power, regarded as one of the best horses in Australia.

The lads all have Irish heritage, as evidenced by the shamrock on their racing silks. I have built my life over here and my two young lads are mad into horses.

The ultimate dream would be to have a runner in the Epsom Derby one day but a representative in the Melbourne Cup comes a very close second.

Kieran McDonagh was in conversation with John O’Riordan.