ZEFTAN provided the biggest win of my career to date when taking the Ladies Derby at the Curragh last weekend. It was a great thrill to ride a winner at the headquarters of Irish flat racing and I am very thankful to Adrian Keatley and his team for giving me the opportunity.

My grandfather Charlie Smith, who won an All-Ireland with Meath in 1949, had horses in training with Al O’Connell. My Dad, Patrick (Mooney) was stable jockey there at the time and that’s actually how my parents met.

Later, when Dad started training horses, my grandfather was a great support. My uncle Johnny (Mooney) rode out for Dad and my cousins Pat and David McCabe learned to ride there before going on to be successful jockeys in England.

Growing up I was always down in the yard, however, it was not until we got new neighbours that my interest really developed. Their kids had a little white pony and I got to borrow him.

From then on I was hooked on horses and that only spiralled when I went into secondary school. By then I had a horse of my own and was hunting and competing in hunter trials. I had also started riding out for Dad and went racing far more than I should! I never had any ambitions to ride on the track, although my older brother Martin (Mooney) was a jockey based in Newmarket. Later on he returned home and was and still is a great help to me - when we are not fighting!

Our aunt, Ann Mooney (now Conmey), has worked with Dad for years and actually rode a winner for him. The latter is a big inspiration to me and we would be lost without her; even now she is still there working away.

JOHN JOSEPH MURPHY

I started a degree course in DCU after finishing school but racing soon took over and education was put on the back burner. We were very busy at home so I spent a year with Dad before returning to college, this time down in Cork, where I studied for a degree in Sports Injury Therapy, while also riding out for John Joseph Murphy.

I lived at the yard and it was a wonderful time to be involved as Newmill won the Queen Mother Champion Chase and Pout was successful in a Group 2 at the Curragh. It was John who first suggested I get my licence, an idea that was later backed up by Eddie Power.

However, after ringing home, my ambitions were shot down very quickly, with Dad telling me I would want to be mad to become a jockey.

I went on and finished college and then went to work for Ann Marie Winters, who offered me the chance to ride a mare for her if I got my licence.

This time I just went ahead and got the licence, without even mentioning it to my Dad or Martin! Being honest, initially all I ever wanted to do was have one ride in a race just to say that I had done it.

However, after the first experience I got the bug and wanted to do better and become stronger.

Dad gave me a couple of spins in point-to-points and Sean Gallagher, who had horses with us, was very supportive of me.

HALFORD YARD

In 2009, I went up to Michael Halford’s where I spent a year and was lucky enough to get a few spins on the track. Warren O’Connor was a big help to me at that time and still continues to do his best to help me improve.

I really wanted to work in a National Hunt yard, so after taking a few months out to work in Newmarket, I returned to the Curragh in late 2010 and began working for Dessie Hughes.

It was an incredible experience working in that yard and I learned so much from established jockeys such as Paddy Flood, Ian McCarthy, Paddy Kennedy, Bryan Cooper and particularly Roger Loughran.

The boss was a great man to work for and I rode my first winner on the track for him - Swiftmarc at Tramore in 2010. Before that I had partnered two winners in point-to-points for Mick Manning. Earlier on I also went and rode trackwork in both the US and Germany as I was determined to gain as much experience as possible.

In May 2012 I broke my collarbone and decided to use the time off to travel and see some of Australia. My recovery was faster than anticipated and I ended up riding a winner, Benefit Of Porter, the day before I flew out. Not the greatest of timing on my part! I stayed a year in Australia and it was brilliant out there.

On my return to Ireland, I went to work for Ger Lyons, where I rode out and began to help in the office. I put race riding out of my mind for a time, as I felt I would never have it as good as it was in Dessie’s. I saw my career taking a different path and went to part-time classes where I qualified as a fitness instructor/personal trainer.

After qualifying, I left Ger’s and returned home, where I help Dad, ride out for neighbour Dermot McLoughlin and teach classes for Bootcamp Ireland two days a week. Last December, I returned to the track and won on Augher Castle for Dad.

A few days before the Ladies Derby I met Robbie McNamara up at the Curragh and he suggested I ring Adrian (Keatley) and ask for the ride on Zeftan.

As I knew Adrian, I was half dreading calling for fear of rejection. He was very straight and told me that while he already had a rider booked for the horse, if anything changed in the meantime he would give me a call. Fortunately for me, the first choice was claimed by her retained stable and I stepped in for the spin. Adrian and his staff had the horse in super form on the day and I never had a moment’s worry until I saw how far I won by!

Hopefully the win will help to get me a few more rides as I still feel I have plenty to offer as a rider and have yet to reach my full potential.

It would be fantastic to get the opportunity to ride in some of the big amateur races such as the GPT Handicap, as I can claim off bottom weight.

Helen Mooney was in conversation with John O’Riordan