I RODE my very first winner on the track aboard Timia at Dundalk on Friday night last. As a young apprentice having just my 17th career ride, it was fantastic to gain that initial success - hopefully it was just the first of many.

Racing is in my blood and I started off riding ponies when I was nine years old. My uncles, Andrew, Willie and Brian Slattery, are very well known within the sport and have achieved quite a deal of success over the years. My grandfather first sat me on a pony but Brian [Slattery] carried this further and had me well prepared by the time I began pony racing aged 11.

Teddy Finn really got me started and I spent the next five seasons competing all over the country, picking up plenty of knowledge and experience along the way. It was only after this year’s Dingle meeting, when I had reached the required age, that I left pony racing behind for a career on the racecourse.

Up to that point, I used to ride work in Andrew’s every Saturday, then go pony racing on the Sunday. In all, I rode over 40 winners, including a treble on the first day of this year’s Dingle Races. I was also crowned champion horse rider in the midlands this season, a fitting way to end my time on the pony circuit.

Aside from regularly riding work for Andrew, I have also ridden the breeze up horses for my uncles for the last few years. I began when I was 13 and have been doing so ever since. Our family have a well deserved reputation for producing stars of the future and I am very grateful to be entrusted with helping to bring these horses along.

After Willie, Brian and my grandad break the yearlings, the lads and I back them and build up to riding them on the gallops. First we sit on them in the lunging ring until they are confident enough to be hacked and eventually cantered. It takes time to get the horses to the stage where they can breeze on the racetrack itself.

I also ride the horses when it comes to showing what they can do in their breezes. In that respect I have probably had more experience than many young lads my age, so hopefully that will prove an advantage going forward.

I got my apprentice licence towards the end of September and am based with my uncle Andrew. I ride out a couple of lots every Tuesday and Friday before school, as well as Saturdays and evening work in the yard. I am 20 minutes away from the stables but am up there every chance I get.

My first ride on the track was on Jose Echegaray for Andrew Slattery in Limerick last month. I had been well prepared but it is certainly very different from pony racing as everything happens so much faster and the jockeys ride a lot tighter. It was nice to go into the weighing room and see a few familiar faces from pony racing – such as Danny Sheehy, Nathan Crosse and Gavin Ryan.

My first cousin Andrew Slattery is also an apprentice and we actually both had our first ride on the racecourse the same afternoon, on October 7th.

Since that day, I have had a good few opportunities to further my experience, with Andrew, John Feane and George Webb giving me plenty of chances. Indeed, I had finished second on Scobias for George, a fortnight before riding my initial winner.

Timia, had been an easy winner at Dundalk on her previous outing, so I was thrilled when Keith Clarke booked me for the ride. I thought she had to have a very good chance, while the trainer was also expecting her to go close. He instructed me to jump off handy, be up there and ride the race from that point. Fortunately it all just went to plan on the night and I came home in front.

Riding a winner in my first season was the main aim and now that I have achieved that I hope to be able to add a few more. Although I am still in school [fifth year], I will try to gain as much experience as I can at Dundalk this winter, in preparation for the turf season.

It is important that I can make contacts over the coming months and ride for as many trainers as possible. I can claim 10lbs off 8-06, so being able to do a light weight will open more doors. I will be based full-time with Andrew next summer, although I might also try ride out at another yard to gain further experience.

Ben Coen was in conversation with John O’Riordan