LAST Sunday at the Curragh, Mark Enright announced his retirement from the saddle. The Limerick man enjoyed success on both the National Hunt scene as well as the flat and is a very popular character among his peers.

Enright started as an apprentice on the flat and rode his first winner on the Stephen Nolan-trained Doorock at Tipperary on August 9th, 2009. He rode nine winners before switching to the National Hunt game and, as a conditional rider, gained his first success when partnering Thynetocatcher to win the Listed ITBA Fillies Scheme EBF Pro/Am Flat Race at Navan in November 2011.

He enjoyed a steady stream of success and hit the big time in 2018 when winning the €100,000 Coral Hurdle at the inaugural Dublin Racing Festival on the Charles Byrnes-trained Off You Go.

He landed his biggest success when the Gordon Elliott-trained Clarcam won the €250,000 thetote.com Galway Plate at Galway. Enright is also one of only a handful of jockeys who have ridden a winner at every racecourse in Ireland. It was on that landmark achievement that our conversation commenced

“Yeah, Laytown was the last one that I had to get, I had one there for Denis Hogan a couple of years ago, so that completed the full set. I think there is only a handful of lads that have done that, Patrick Mullins, Derek O’Connor, and a few of the amateurs have done it, I think, but there aren’t that many, so it’s something I’m very proud of.”

On Sunday at the Curragh, Mark weighed out for the final time. He tried to make the most of the day by taking it all in and it was also fitting that he would have his final ride for one of his best friends, Denis Hogan

“It was a busy day. Obviously I had a ride in the 1000 Guineas, so I was focused on that. The filly (Aspen Grove) ran a little bit disappointing but, after that, I just enjoyed the day and soaked it all in. We took a few pictures and that kind of thing.

“I was trying to see a bit of the hurling as well but, yeah, just enjoyed it.

“Then I had my last ride for Denis Hogan, which was nice. I rode for him for years and he would be a good friend of mine, you know. We speak most days and we have a bit of craic together so, yeah, it was really nice to have my last spin for him.”

When retirement comes around many jockeys will try to fill the void by going into bloodstock or media. Enright, however, has other plans.

“I did a bit of buying and selling down through the years, Advising lads on different horses and that kind of thing. I suppose a lot of lads are going down that route or the media route but neither really appeals to me. As far as what’s next for me, there is a couple of things in the pipeline that are under wraps for the moment. For now, it is all about recharging the batteries, putting my feet up, and putting a bit of weight on.”

Even though Enright enjoyed success in both codes, it was without a doubt the jumps which gave him the most joy.

“I got more enjoyment out of the jumps racing than I did the flat. When I set out to be a jockey it was never to be a flat one. I always wanted to be a jumps jockey. I loved every minute of it. It was a great thrill. I rode some cracking winners as well which helped.

“I suppose it’s a bit harder because you are getting falls all the time and you are getting broken up. But at the same time, on the flat, you have to be more conscious of your weight. But, yeah, I definitely preferred riding over jumps, it was a great thrill.”

Enright had his finest moment in the saddle in the 2018 Galway Plate. In the lead up to that race though he wasn’t overly confident about his chances.

“He was the outsider of the field, I knew what I wanted to do but I didn’t overanalyse it. I just thought ‘Look it, this is another ride in a handicap chase.’ I didn’t put a whole lot of thought into it. It was Keith Donoghue who told me the horse was in great order and that he would jump like a buck. He told me if I got him into a rhythm he has a chance. Clarcam gave me a great spin and it just worked out brilliantly”

The first winner is always a momentous occasion for every jockey. Enright looks back fondly on his ride aboard Doorock in Tipperary back in 2009 but admits that he didn’t exactly ride a very tidy finish on the day.

“I’m fairly sure I dropped my whip actually. I hadn’t that many rides at that stage, It was brilliant though. There was just green grass in front of me and elbows and legs going everywhere, quite untidy but brilliant all the same. Thankfully I became tidier in a finish as the years went on.”