FORMER pony show jumper Jack Foley broke new ground last Friday evening when saddling his first winner, Liberaton Date, at Dundalk Stadium after which he was interviewed at length by Racing TV’s Kevin O’Ryan and Fran Berry.

When the Co Carlow native left the world of coloured poles, he did so to become a jockey and partnered 65 winners between 2020 and 2024. He was attached to the Tom Mullins yard, but also rode winners for Willie Mullins including El Barra on whom he landed a Grade A novice handicap chase at the 2022 Punchestown Festival, ending that season as champion conditional jockey.

Jack retired from race riding a year ago and among the jobs he took up was helping with the breezers (two-year-olds being prepped for sale) at the Capital Stud of Ger O’Neill, with whom his brother Jason is based at the Castlefield Sport Horses’ side of the Co Kilkenny operation. It was here he rekindled his friendship with Liberation’s owner Donnchadh Doyle, who is well-known as a point-to-point trainer, did plenty of pony jumping himself and is involved with O’Neill in young show jumping horses.

Doyle had purchased some flat yearlings last autumn - and did so again this year - and has set Jack up in a dual-purpose yard from which Foley has sent out 10 runners on the level and five over jumps. The latter group includes Monbeg Park, who Doyle himself saddled to win his point-to-point maiden first time out at Tattersalls in November 2021. The Walk In The Park gelding then moved into the care of Donnchadh’s brother Sean for whom he won a bumper, two hurdle races and two chases.

Monbeg Jack has run well in four blacktype races for Foley and holds an engagement in the Paddy Power Chase at Leopardstown after Christmas.