THIRTY-eight-year-old Irish jumps jockey Willie McCarthy, having taken the long way to Australia via America, landed a double at Warrnambool on Sunday winning the feature steeplechase on his first day of race riding in Australia.

Legged up by Henry Dwyer aboard The Dominator, the pair took out the A$100,000 Thackeray Steeplechase over 3,450 metres by a comfortable five lengths ahead of Police Camp and Bit Of A Lad.

In the next, McCarthy landed a top-weight flat for trainer Michelle Payne aboard Mark The Horse, an excellent return from three rides for the day having arrived in Australia to ride work for Ciaron Maher and David Eustace “and do some race riding.”

“It’s absolutely amazing, honestly, this time 12 months ago I was lying on the flat of my back with a broken neck and I didn’t know if I could ever race or ride a horse again,” relayed McCarthy of his nasty fall on the flat in a race in Virginia, America.

“Somebody asked me the other morning ‘am I nervous about today’, I said no I was nervous last year when I didn’t know if I could do it again. These horses, I love them with all my heart.

“Thoroughbred horses have brought me all over the world. The jumping game in Australia is just superb and I’m just blessed to be a part of it.”

A qualified Pilates instructor, a therapy that McCarthy was introduced to after a fall at Philadelphia Park in 2017, and to which he credits as a prevention from more serious injuries, McCarthy called on a childhood friend once he landed in Australia.

“Johnny (Allen) is a top man, we worked together in Ireland when we were teenagers and I haven’t seen him for quite a few years. Since I came here to Australia, he’s taken me under his wing and has given me a roof over my head and introduced me to the right people. He’s the exact same guy I knew 15 years ago in Ireland, only his pockets got a little bit heavier!”

Granted U.S Citizenship in January, McCarthy plans to return to America, but in the meantime has set himself a goal to join a small list of jump jockeys who have won races all around the globe.

Pateman treble

Saunter Boy completed a treble for Steven Pateman at Warrnambool on Sunday, winning the A$100,000 Kevin Lafferty Hurdle by seven lengths at his first jumps start following his Australian Hurdle win in May.

The French-bred Myboycharlie gelding looks to be in top order for the Grand National Hurdle at Sandown next month.

Combining with the stable of Ciaron Maher and David Eustace, Pateman had earlier won a pair of hurdles on Will John, and the Irish-bred Norway.

The Galileo five-year-old had won a Group 3 at Leopardstown over a mile and four in September 2019 before finding his way to Chris Waller’s stable, then Peter Moody’s before finally arriving at the Maher and Eustace stable. This was Norway’s first win in 13 Australian starts.

Ryan double

Tommy Ryan has his eye in, landing a double at Warrnambool on Sunday. Saluting in the first on St Arnicca for Paul Preusker in the maiden hurdle, Ryan then landed the fifth for Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott, aboard Social Element, the duo won the Benchmark 120 Steeple by a comfortable 30 lengths.