ARRIVING back into work in Joseph O’Brien’s on Wednesday morning, I was still on a high following the Melbourne Cup success of Rekindling. There was a real positive vibe around the whole yard and everyone was still talking about the race.

Although I look after the horse at home, I was unable to travel with him on his great Australian adventure. Visa issues prevented me from making that trip; instead I was on my way back from the Breeders Cup, when my charge was winning the race that stops a nation.

Horses were never part of my life growing up, although racing always held some sort of interest. Enda Bolger, Shane Foley and myself are second cousins, so I would have watched Enda [Bolger] ride over the banks and win on great horses such as Elegant Lord.

It was not until I got a job with Dusty Sheehy, at 15, that I first sat on a racehorse. A year later, I took out an amateur licence and over the next decade or so, I rode for both Dusty [Sheehy] and Paddy Mullins.

While in Dusty’s, I looked after Grade 1 winner, Justified, with whom I got to travel to Cheltenham. Kahuna and Rindoon were two other stable stalwarts who took me to the festival during my time in the yard. After leaving Sheehy’s, I worked for Paddy Mullins for a period, before returning to my original job.

AUSTRALIAN ADVENTURE

I spent six months in America with Todd Pletcher, then came home and worked for a couple of locals. In 2010, an ad came up for exercise riders in Ballydoyle and fortunately I was deemed good enough for that role.

I stayed until February the following year, then headed to Australia for three years. Initially I worked for Gai Waterhouse, then moved on to Peter Moody’s. He had the great Black Caviar in his yard at the time and, although I never got to ride her work, I had the privilege of watching her each morning. As part of my Visa conditions, I then had to spend three months in a regional area, so I went to ride out for David Hayes.

It was a great job, so much so, that I ended up there for nine months. Finally, I worked as a freelance exercise rider in Sydney for a year before deciding to return to Ireland. Immediately after coming back, I resumed work in Ballydoyle before moving to Pilltown with Joseph [O’Brien] in April 2015.

BACK TO BALLYDOYLE

I was asked to look after Ivanovich Gorbatov as soon as he came from Ballydoyle and have been with him throughout his hurdling career. He gave us all a great day when winning the Triumph Hurdle at Cheltenham in 2016.

In February of this year, a new horse named Rekindling arrived from David Wachman’s and was placed in my care. Although I had seen the horse finish second to Capri in Galway as a juvenile, I didn’t know much else about him.

From day one, it was clear that he was an above average type; a fantastic mover who did everything that was asked of him. We were hopeful he would run well on his debut for us in the Ballysax Stakes but his manner of victory was somewhat of a surprise.

The Epsom Derby was the natural progression from that race but he failed to handle the track in the big race itself. Confidence was restored in the Curragh Cup, before the colt finished an excellent second in the Irish Leger.

I think we knew after that latter run that he could be a Melbourne Cup horse, as the Irish Leger winner, Order Of St George, is one of the best stayers in recent years. Capri proved too strong at Doncaster in the English classic, with Rekindling eventually coming home in fourth. After the race, attention turned to Australia and I was asked to travel with the horse. However, during the Visa application process, Australian authorities deemed that I had stayed in the country too long on my previous visit, so denied my travel request.

HEARTBREAKING NEWS

Despite the heartbreaking news that I wouldn’t be travelling to Australia, I did all the preparations with Rekindling, including the quarantine. Then six weeks ago, Mark Power took US Army Ranger to Australia and MJ Doran went in my place with Rekindling.

I spoke to the two lads every day and was delighted to hear how easily Rekindling adapted to life over there. He actually thrived under the conditions and put on weight during his stay. As I knew Australian racing well from my time over there, I was quite bullish about the colt going close in the Cup.

I was in the air when the race was run so didn’t get to see it live. Having flown to the US with Now Your Talking for the Breeders Cup, I was on a flight from LA to London, when the gates opened for the great race.

It was not until I landed at Heathrow and saw all the missed calls on my phone that I realised he must have won. I only arrived back into work at 6am on Wednesday morning so was seeing most of the lads for the first time.

Rekindling does not arrive back home for another couple of days, so I am really looking forward to that. Joseph [O’Brien] deserves this and every success that will undoubtedly come his way over the years. He is a great man to work for; one of the best I have had in my long career.

From day one he has been very good to me and I appreciate what he has done. I have been lucky enough to look after both a Cheltenham Festival winner and Melbourne Cup winner, not many lads in racing can say that!

Michael Butler was in conversation with John O’Riordan