MANY congratulations to Downpatrick’s Caoilin Quinn who, on his first racecourse ride, landed the concluding mile and a half amateur handicap at Kempton on Tuesday evening with the 20/1 shot Sarim. The four-year-old Declaration Of War gelding was having his first start since late June last year and his first for Warren Greatrex with whom Caoilin has been based since earlier that same month.

“This is my first job in racing,” said the 18-year-old, who rode 32 winners pony racing, from over 300 rides, including three at the Dingle Festival.

“I used to ride out at home for Brian Hamilton who was very helpful and taught me a lot. I won’t be riding in the points over here as I plan to turn conditional in January and want to try and get as many amateur rides on the track in before then.”

Naturally, Quinn’s parents, Mark and Paula, were delighted when he made his winning debut on Tuesday and news of his success was swiftly shared among members of his local Russell Gaelic Union GAA club.

“I played a lot a Gaelic football when I was younger. My Dad used to be captain for Down back in the day so I sort of got brought up around Gaelic and was decent enough at it. When I first started, playing at under 6s, I played corner back and I stayed in that position until I was playing under 16s when I moved into the forward line – I was fairly good on the free kicks and that! I’ve always had a love for Gaelic and if I was back in Ireland I would still try and play in my spare time if I wasn’t riding.”

Amateur

Back in eighth in Tuesday’s race was Ciaran Jones who, six days earlier, had recorded his first success under rules when landing a division of the 10-furlong handicap for gentlemen amateur riders at Nottingham on the Mark Usher-trained Born To Please.

The 25-year-old, who is from Cavan, started show jumping ponies and, aged 16, moved on to racehorses when riding out for Shane Donohoe. From there he went to RACE in 2012, serving his placement period with Sabrina Harty, and, having graduated, moved over to England to Philip Hobbs. He didn’t get any rides on the track when based for two seasons with Hobbs but did ride in a few point-to-points.

Arab horses

However, always quite light (he can do 8st 7lb when required), Ciaran learned that there would be an opening for him in Arab racing and he has excelled in this sport. “It’s quite hard to be an amateur under rules over here and, while I would like to ride in bumpers, I would have to carry a lot of lead. I get on really well with Arab horses and ride as second retained jockey for the Royal Cavalry of Oman for whom I trained horses last season.

“I ride out a lot for Mark (Usher), whom I joined last year, and help with the travelling during the summer. Mark is very supportive of his riders and uses them a lot on horses owned by his own racing club. I live at his Rowdown yard in Lambourn.”

Success in the very last race of the season at Naas on Sunday, saw Donegal’s Oisin Orr share the 2019 apprentice title with Andy Slattery on 43 wins apiece.

Orr, who won the title outright in 2017, went into the meeting two wins adrift of Slattery but partnered the favourite Tide Of Time to victory in the five-furlong handicap before drawing level with his rival in the concluding mile and a half maiden on Maria Christina.

Owned and bred by Moyglare Stud Farm, that three-year-old Kodiac filly is trained by Orr’s boss Dermot Weld who supplied the 22-year-old with 20 of his wins this term including two at Group 3 level. Oisin is due to spend the winter in Australia with Chris Waller

While most of the attention in that country on Tuesday was centred on the Melbourne Cup meeting, Donegal-born Martin Harley had five rides at Kensington in New South Wales. There he won the fourth of nine races, the featured 1,100m Choisir Handicap, on Glenall, a six-year-old Redoute’s Choice gelding who is trained by Michael, Wayne and John Hawkes. This was an eighth win from 54 rides for Harley since he went out to Australia in September.