You would be forgiven for being unable to pinpoint Richard Cully’s nationality based on his accent.

Born to Irish parents, Cully spent his first 15 years growing up in Gosford in the New South Wales countryside north of Sydney, Australia. His parents made the decision to move the Cully clan back home to Carbury in Co Kildare in 1997.

Having been introduced to racing by his father, on returning to Ireland Cully initially began hunting and then started working for Shay O’Hare which led to him taking out a point-to-point rider’s licence. Further stints working for Francis Flood and Gerry Keane cemented Cully’s future as a jockey and working with horses.

In 2005, Cully returned to Australia where he worked with legendary trainer Gai Waterhouse in Randwick, Sydney. While he was there he heard about jumps racing in New Zealand and decided to head over. “Initially I just went for a look, but I got on well, started riding in the jumps races and ended up staying for three seasons,” Cully said of his first Kiwi adventures.

With the Celtic Tiger in full swing back in Ireland, Cully decided to return home to Kildare again, this time to start training with the help of his brother and amateur jockey Chris. “We had a bit of success and trained a few winners but, after about two years, it was getting harder to get paid and there were less opportunities for the horses I was training, so I decided to head back again to New Zealand.”

CHAMPION JOCKEY

Cully made the most of every opportunity afforded to him on his return and was crowned champion jumps jockey for both the 2010/11 and 2011/12 seasons. He was working for New Zealand trainer John Wheeler when another opportunity arose to accompany some New Zealand jumps horses to the Oakbank Jumps Carnival in South Australia. After crossing the Tasman, Cully decided to stay in Australia.

Irish jockeys have traditionally dominated jumps racing in Britain and now they are doing likewise in Australia. Paddy Flood, Tom Ryan, John Allen and Shane Jackson have all enjoyed great success down under. “It’s great to have the other Irish jumps jockeys here,” Cully says. “They certainly have improved the quality of racing and made it a lot more competitive. Ireland has the best jumps racing in the world and that can be seen by the talent of Irish jockeys in Australia at the moment.”

The recent influx of Irish jockeys has also helped promote Irish and British jump racing to Australians. Cully said: “It’s great to see tours to Cheltenham organised from Australia on an annual basis. There are jumps racing fans here now who wouldn’t miss the Cheltenham Festival.” There’s even talk of local racing enthusiasts making a trip to the Irish Grand National next year.

Cully divides his week between two of the biggest jump racing yards in the Melbourne area. He works for Ciaron Maher at Caulfield Racecourse and also travels out north of the city to Melton to Patrick Payne’s training base.

Both these trainers have spent time working and riding in Ireland. Maher was a pupil at Jim Dreaper’s and Payne spent time in Ballydoyle and on the Curragh. Another Australian jumps trainer, Todd Balfour, was a conditional jockey to the Martin Pipe stable, so the trainers appreciate the Irish jockeys’ background, horsemanship and overall passion for jumps racing.

SLIMMED DOWN

The 2014 season has been an incredibly successful one for Cully. Last May he showed his dedication to riding by slimming his 5ft 11in frame down to ride at 64kg (just over 10st) in May and won the Grand Annual Steeplechase at Warrnambool aboard the Patrick Payne-trained Chaparro. The triumph was the biggest of Cully’s 13-year career, which has yielded over 100 wins in three countries.

Having won the prestigious Galleywood Hurdle earlier in the season, Cully then went on to land the Australian Steeplechase at Sandown on another Patrick Payne-trained horse Krase at the end of May.

Two days later he went to Ellerslie in New Zealand and rode the Ben Foote-trained Amanood Lad to victory in the McGregor Grant Steeplechase, one of New Zealand’s most prestigious jumps races.

Cully’s efforts this season haven’t gone unnoticed and he was awarded the Jumping Jockey Encouragement Award at the Australian Jumping Races Association Awards night in September.

Despite being born in Australia, Cully is a proud Irishman. His family is now based back in Sydney again but Cully has made Melbourne in Victoria his home.

Jumps racing has been discontinued in New South Wales so South Australia and Victoria host the majority of the action, making Melbourne an ideal base. For now Australia is once again home.

“Being an Australian citizen has helped as I am free to go over and back to New Zealand without having to worry about visas. Not having to be sponsored by one main trainer means I am a lot more free to freelance ride too which helps.”

Cully met his girlfriend Lisa Whelan in New Zealand four years ago and she has also moved to Victoria. Originally from Waterford, Whelan is a talented jockey too and is apprenticed to trainer Mick Kent.

The jumps season is now over and Cully is looking forward to enjoying the Spring Carnival flat racing as a spectator and the Melbourne Cup in particular. “I think Johnny Murtagh is a very shrewd trainer. He was an exceptionally talented jockey too. Hopefully his own experiences of riding in the Melbourne Cup will stand to him now and he can train the winner.” Here’s hoping the Irish winning streak down under continues.