TWO winners over the Christmas period, capped what had already been a very productive start to my career in Britain. Having only moved over full-time in August, to take up a role as conditional jockey with the Jonjo O’Neill yard, I have ridden 15 winners over the last five months. On the back of those recent successes, I am hoping to push on into 2021 and hopefully build up more contacts so that I can challenge for the conditional jockeys’ title next season.

I didn’t come from a racing background as such, although my dad is a first cousin of Brendan Sheridan. My uncle, David Brogan, is also a well-known breeder who owns Coolnahay Stud in Mullingar. However, despite those links, I had no direct contact with horses as a child growing up. I was into most sports, playing a lot of GAA and rugby but my interest never went too deep into racing.

RACE

In those days, a trip to the Friday of the Punchestown Festival was as far as my exposure to equine sports went. It was not until my early teens, when my uncle leased out some stables at home in Kill, that I began to take more of an interest.

I used to go in and help out the lady that ran the yard and really it just started from there.

She mentioned that her brother had done the RACE course and from that point on I knew what I wanted to do with my life.

Ted’s advice

In preparation for my time at RACE, I began hunting and show jumping in order to expand my knowledge of horses. I also got a weekend job with local trainer, Ted Walsh, one of the legends of the racing game. He was very good to me, always offering help and advice, telling me what I did right or wrong. Ted loved to see you had improved as a result of listening and putting in the hard graft. He was one of the biggest influences on my early career so I have a lot to thank him for.

Later on, I was sent out to Robbie McNamara, on my RACE placement and he too, was a big help in shaping my future. I was closer to Robbie in age, so I probably asked him more questions as time went on. It was a great yard to work in, as lads like Paddy Flood, Tim Carroll, Kevin Sexton, Conor Brassil and Denis O’Regan all came in to school at one time or another. I certainly learned a lot riding alongside those men and left Robbie’s a better jockey as a result.

Wonderful team

RACE itself was a fantastic learning experience and I was delighted to be named Trainee Jockey Of The Year. The whole team at the academy were wonderful teachers and contributed so much to all of our careers.

Although I had a couple of rides on the flat, I always wanted to be a jump jockey. I had stopped growing by the age of 18 and my weight had settled at around 10 stone. During the summer of 2018, I moved to Gordon Elliott’s yard as an amateur jockey, as I hoped that being based in such a large training operation would provide more opportunities.

Later that year, I rode my first winner under rules when Askari won a handicap hurdle at Navan. That horse was only my 14th ride on the track and just my third for Gordon Elliott. In February 2019, I turned conditional jockey, after which I continued to ride away for my then boss. He gave me plenty of experience during my time working for him, so like Ted Walsh and Robbie McNamara before him, Gordon proved a great mentor.

Jackdaws Castle

I rode a winner for Paul Nolan and two more for Gordon, before dipping my toe in the water with a couple of rides in Britain towards the end of 2019/20.

In the back of my mind, I always knew that I would have better chances in the UK but at that point it wasn’t something I had thought a great deal about. It was only after Jonjo O’Neill posted an ad on Facebook looking for a conditional jockey that I set in motion the chain of events that led me to Jackdaws Castle.

I started fulltime with Jonjo on August 2nd 2020; a decision I have never for one moment regretted. The boss has been very supportive of me from the outset and Jackdaws is like a home away from home with so many Irish over here. Tegerek won at Cheltenham in October and after I rode another winner the following week, people began to take notice of me. After winning on Drumconnor Lad up at Ayr for Adrian Keatley, the outside rides really started to come thick and fast.

My agent, Dave Roberts, has been very good to me, working tirelessly to get me on horses with strong chances.

Irish trainers such as Adrian Keatley, Johnny Farrelly, Neil Mulholland and John O’Shea have been big supporters, as have the likes of Ross O’Sullivan and Gordon Elliott when they raid these shores. Hopefully they will all continue to use me in 2021 and that I can build up further contacts in the coming months.

I certainly have the conditional jockeys’ championship on my mind; I think if you are riding at the highest level you have to aspire to such levels. One day, I’d love to be champion jockey but that is further down the line. With regard to the coming year, aside from the conditional championship, I’d love to get to ride in some of the bigger races and maybe ride a Cheltenham Festival winner.

Kevin Brogan was in conversation with John O’Riordan