IN riding back-to-back winners at Gowran Park last Saturday, I also recorded the first double of my career. It was extra special, as I rode those horses for two trainers who have been very supportive of me over the last couple of seasons.

I was a relative latecomer to racing, only learning to ride aged 16. My father is a farmer and although we had some half-breds at home, it was not until he bought a cob that I became interested in riding.

Prior to that I had been very involved in hurling and other sports growing up and in my early teens. However, once I discovered horses I was soon going out with the local hunt at every opportunity.

I met Aidan Fitzgerald out hunting one afternoon and we got chatting. He had just finished race-riding and was breaking/pre-training a few point-to-pointers.

He suggested that I come and work for him during weekends and school holidays.

Over the next couple of years, I did plenty of hunting and after leaving school I went to work for Aidan full-time.

Having started out with just the few horses when I arrived in his yard, Aidan now has upwards of 40 point-to-pointers and is doing very well. He has been a huge influence on my development as a jockey and basically taught me how to ride. Before coming to his stables, I had only ever sat on hunters but he showed me how to handle thoroughbreds and school properly. I now ride all the yards horses in point-to-points and have enjoyed plenty of success in doing so.

Aidan tends to buy three-year-olds, break and train them, win their points and sell them on to England. He has done very well with such types in recent seasons.

I am in the yard full-time, six days a week, but Aidan is very good in allowing me to work for other trainers if needs be.

I rode my first winner on the track at 19, on Theyellowlough, a horse owned by my father, Andrew. He had won his point for Aidan (ridden by Ross O’Sullivan) before being switched to Paul Nolan for a career under rules.

After that initial win, things were slow for a time but I continued to ride in plenty of point-to-points. I then won multiple races on both Carmel’s Boy and Followmeuptocarlow, which helped to keep my name in the shop window on the racecourse itself.

TURNING POINT

The real turning point came last September, when I won on Bargy Lady for Willie Mullins at the Listowel festival.

Since then I have gotten a lot more rides and I have little doubt that the stamp of approval from the champion trainer is responsible for that.

Over the last six months I have ridden more winners on the track and points than at any time previously. I live with Patrick Mullins and have to thank him for putting my name forward for the ride on Bargy Lady (he couldn’t do the weight).

Mine Now, the first leg of last weekends double, is a horse I know well. I won a point-to-point on him when Aidan trained him and Peter Fahey has allowed me ride the horse on the track anytime he wanted to claim.

I hadn’t ridden the horse in a few years prior to Punchestown in December, where we finished second. I was fairly confident going into Saturday’s race and was delighted to be able to win for both Peter and owner, Enda Monaghan.

It was great to finally ride a winner for Peter, as he has given me plenty of spins. My second winner, Shimmer’s Rock, was also no stranger, as I had finished second on her in a point at Dromahane.

I felt she was unlucky on that occasion as she missed out the last fence, yet still only just failed to get back up. Thankfully Pat and Conor [Fahy] left me keep the ride and I am grateful to them.

It was a race they particularly wanted to win and I was thrilled to play a part in such a poignant success. I have ridden three winners from seven rides for the Fahy’s so it’s a strike rate I hope to keep up!

I am happy with how everything is going at the moment - I am getting plenty of opportunities and riding winners. I have now won 13 races on the track and a further 27 between the flags.

My immediate aim is to lose my 7lb, which I will do after another seven wins. Aside from that I just want to stay injury free and continue as I have been doing.

Hopefully the winners, such as those last Saturday, will help bring me to the attention of more trainers and I will see my rides increase over the coming months.

Richie Deegan was in conversation with John O’Riordan