ELLEN Hennessy’s good luck gift of posting personalised helmet covers to the Irish Pony Club mounted games team members to wear at Bath & West Show has been repaid in style with three winners in 10 days for the young Australian-based jockey.

The Kildare native moved to Australia in 2016 after completing the trainee jockey course in the RACE Academy in Kildare and a year spent as an apprentice with Kevin Prendergast at the Curragh. She started race riding in Australia in November 2019 and has recorded over 80 wins to date.

Moving to Annabel Neasham’s yard in Warwick Farm in Sydney at the end of 2021 has seen extra opportunities for her in the Metro racing scene. The latest win with Rumpshaker last weekend has edged her closer to her goal of 100+ winners.

A Kildare Pony Club member, her favourite activity was mounted games, both with her local branch and the Mounted Games Association of Ireland (MGAI), which all whetted her appetite for speed. Ellen also hunted and competed in show jumping and eventing too.

Her younger sister Lucy, together with Lily O’Reilly, Max O’Reilly, Eliza Jane Queally, Aine Sharry and Emma Simmons were on the Irish team at Bath & West last September, when they won the sportsmanship award.