RIDING a Cheltenham winner on Ask Brewster on my first ever ride in England was just surreal. I don’t know how I feel to be honest. It was all a bit of a blur at the time and, even now, it still hasn’t really sunk in. When I got the call from Evan Williams to ride in the Kim Muir, I was just delighted to be involved and have a spin on the day. After going through the form, I started to realise that Ask Brewster had a real chance and, thankfully that’s how it worked out.

We would always have kept broodmares at home. I grew up with my cousin Julian Pietropaolo. He is an apprentice on the flat and, has been doing very well since switching from pony racing. We would have started hunting together with the local Conna Harriers when we were still in primary school. I then went down to Eudora O’Connor in Tallow at weekends.