CONOR ORR

After a three-year stint in Wales where he was based in Evan Williams’s yard, Conor Orr decided to come home after he failed to pick up momentum he felt he needed. However he never gave up on his dream to make it as a jockey and, after basing himself in Chris Jones’s yard in Co. Meath, has now cut a more established name for himself.

A total of 14 winners from 150 rides is a healthy return, of which the highlight was 2,992/1 treble at Limerick last month. He was seen to particularly good effect on James Dullea’s Rocky’s Silver in that sequence, riding the five-year-old gelding patiently to come through and defy odds of 33/1. It was a ride that won plaudits from many, not least Dullea who called it “exceptional”.

The Donegal native is a brother to champion apprentice Oisin Orr, and has ridden over 100 winners on the pony racing circuit. He should be busy this Christmas, more than likely down in Limerick but he will also fly to Chepstow on the 27th to ride Raz De Maree who is set to go for back to back Welsh Grand Nationals.

GAVIN RYAN

2018 was a good year for Gavin Ryan, a year when he rode a very respectable nine winners from 125 rides. That effort can be marked up considerably when you take into account that Ryan is still in school, currently in his leaving cert year. The Tipperary native is sensibly going to see out his studies until the end, but racing has been his passion and it may be that he has the opportunity to go at it 100% this summer once completing his exams. When that time comes, it would be no surprise to see his career take off.

From a non-racing background, Ryan set his sights on becoming a jockey as soon as he attended a first lesson at his local equestrian centre.

His career really got started when he joined Jim Bolger two years ago and he was probably seen to best effect when riding Dawn Hoofer to win for his master trainer in the Apprentice Derby at the Curragh on Irish Derby weekend this year. He also rode a Galway Festival winner on Sheila Lavery’s Truffles, who ultimately won easily but required organising early on coming from stall 16.

SARAH LYNAM

A degree in Film Studies and French isn’t exactly the undergrad you’d be expected to have going into training racehorses, but no one can argue with the hands-on experience Sarah Lynam has attained. A daughter of multiple Group 1-winning trainer Eddie, Sarah has also spent time with Jim Bolger, Willie Mullins and in Australia with Gai Waterhouse, when she was closely associated with 2013 Melbourne Cup winner Fiorente. She surprised a few, not least her father, when she made the decision to take on training herself but six winners from just 40 runs is a healthy return in only her second year operating.

Lynam trains in the same yard as her father, between Dunshaughlin and Navan, and attained her first double just last month when Sabrina Fairchild and Tyrconnell won at Dundalk. The latter-mentioned was sent out to win again at Dundalk the following week, his third win for the trainer, progressing from a mark of 45 to 64.

Lynam has five yearlings to look forward to next season and reports that a few owners have taken a chance on her. The dream is alive.

PADRAIG ROCHE

Out Of The Loop was a fitting first winner for Padraig Roche as a trainer, as he was the last winner his father Christy sent out two months previous.

It was a seamless transition and Roche will hope that is the theme of his training career following on from his father who did so well with the likes of Like-A-Butterfly, Youlneverwalkalone and Le Coudray, to name just a few. With the backing of most of his father’s owners, notably J.P. McManus, Padraig has a good starting point and he has the credentials to progress.

He learned most of what he knows at home but he is also another young trainer who went out and got different types of experience, spending time with Aidan O’Brien, Kevin Prendergast and doing a year in Australia.

Nine winners from just 58 runners is a healthy return for Roche this season (since May) and he has done particularly well with Neddyvaughan and Demi Plie, who have both improved to win twice under his stewardship. It would be no surprise to see him build on this solid start in 2019.

CONOR O’NEILL

2019 is a big year for Conor O’Neill. It’ll be his first full year as general manager of Punchestown and as chairman of the Association of Irish Racecourses. O’Neill has taken on the role at Punchestown from the legendary Dick O’Sullivan. Big boots to fill but the 29-year-old is a confident choice to fill them.

An NUI Maynooth Equine Business graduate, O’Neill spent time working for Punchestown, Chronicle Bookmakers and Horse Racing Ireland, before he was appointed general manager of Limerick racecourse in 2014. Under his stewardship Limerick attained RTÉ coverage of its Christmas festival and he was also involved in the organising of a raceday lunch and auction in aid of Robbie McNamara which raised over €200,000.

He moved back to Punchestown to take up a role as commercial director and was then chosen by the board to take up the reins after O’Sullivan announced his retirement. On a personal note, he and his fiancé Laura Bolger also have a wedding to organise this year, which could be the biggest test of them all!