NOVEMBER 2018 is a month that will forever be etched in the memory of Cork-born jockey Johnny Allen.

Now resident in Australia, the former Pierse Hurdle-winning rider created quite an impression in his adopted country when winning two prestigious Group 1 races within the space of a week.

Having initially relocated to the southern hemisphere with intentions of resurrecting his career as a jump jockey, Allen found that circumstances forced him to reinvent himself as a flat jockey.

“We only have 70 or 80 jumps races a season over here so in order to increase my income I also started riding a few on the flat.” As a natural lightweight over jumps, weight had never been an issue for Allen, although he has to work that bit harder in order to compete on the level.

His main employer, Darren Weir, who had provided Allen with the bulk of his winners in National Hunt races, gave the Irishman every encouragement to combine both codes. Indeed, Weir has previously been quoted in the Australian press with describing Johnny Allen as ‘the greatest horseman I’ve ever had anything to do with’.

In his early years growing up in Araglen, north Cork, Allen had plenty of experience with horses but very little of racing. “My mother ran the local pony club and taught me to ride almost as soon as I could walk. Later, when I started pony racing, Dad drove me all around the country, so my parents were and continue to be very supportive. However, aside from the odd day out to Mallow races or a local point-to-point, we didn’t see too many racehorses.”

That all changed at the age of 13, when the future Group 1-winning jockey took up a summer job with nearby trainer Sean O’Brien. He credits O’Brien for much of his subsequent exploits, naming him as one of the biggest influences on his career; the man who got him going as a rider.

“I learned the basics from Sean. Dick, Johnny [O’Brien] and himself have always been great supporters of mine. Even in later years when I was home from Australia at Christmas, they always put me up on a few of theirs,” said Allen.

PONY RACING

Having gained invaluable experience on the southern pony racing circuit, Allen then went to Pat Doyle after leaving school. During a three-month stint with the Thurles handler, he learned all about schooling horses and how to present them at a fence.

In October 2002, he moved to Piltown to join the father/daughter team of Joe and Frances Crowley. Later, when Frances made the move to the Curragh, Johnny remained on in the yard with her dad.

By then he had taken out his conditional jockeys’ license and was excited at what lay ahead. “Joe had a big team in those days and gave me plenty of backing from the outset.”

Permiya, trained by Frances Crowley, was Allen’s first winner on the racecourse, when successful in a Clonmel maiden hurdle in February 2003.

From there things just took off and a year later the Cork man won the Pierse Hurdle aboard Dromlease Express for Charles Byrnes, as well as finishing runner-up to Robbie Power in the conditional jockeys’ championship.

In 2005/6, Johnny Allen had his best season numerically, booting home 26 winners in Ireland. However, over the next few years, events conspired to leave the jockey at a crossroads in his career.

“Firstly, I lost my claim and then Joe retired from the training ranks, so I found myself going nowhere in Ireland. I was travelling around the country for two, maybe three rides a week and financially it just wasn’t paying me.’’

In early 2011, an ad appeared in the Irish racing press, seeking jump jockeys for Australia. With nothing to lose, Johnny Allen took the decision to head down under for six months, accompanied by both Ken Whelan and Stephen Gray.

Allen had some previous experience of jumps racing in Australia, having been part of the Irish team (along with Paddy Flood, Larry Hurley and Robbie Power) that competed in the Jockeys Challenge in 2004.

While he had thoroughly enjoyed that whole experience, his career was on the up back home and not for one minute did he ever envisage one day returning full time. Luck can play a huge part in any sportsperson’s career and the Corkman has no doubt the gods were smiling on him second time round.

“I was sent out to Darren Weir straight away and he put me up on some very nice horses. I ended up riding 10 winners during my six-month visit – a big tally for a jump jockey.”

When it came to leaving for home, he found Weir pushing for him to return in 2012. By that stage, the Irishman had already decided it was a forgone conclusion.

KICK START

Upon his return to Australia in March 2012, Allen teamed up with the horse who would kick start his career down under. “Darren [Weir] gave me the ride on Gotta Take Care, who went on to become the champion hurdler here over the next few years. We won 10 races together and it certainly got me noticed in those early days.”

Two years later, Allen enjoyed another significant win when guiding Onboard Wells to victory in the Australian Grand National. However, frustrated at the limited opportunities available to jump jockeys, he began to take the odd ride on the flat, more out of necessity than anything else.

“I started on the smaller country tracks then moved on to the city tracks as I became more successful. Initially it was just a way of paying the bills but soon I found myself doing well so continued on from there.”

Johnny Allen’s rise up the ladder also coincided with that of his boss, Darren Weir. The latter started out on the country tracks and went from training around 120 winners a season to 480 this year – a commonwealth record.

Allen points out that there are actually no dominant National Hunt trainers in the country; it’s more a case of most flat yards keeping a few in training. He also acknowledges that racegoers perceptions of him have changed over the years.

“First, I was seen as an Irish jump jockey trying to get rides over here. Then, I was the jump jockey trying to get rides on the flat. It took time for the general public to accept me as a flat jockey.”

LEADING RIDERS

Back to back wins in the Group 1 South Australian Derby, aboard Howard Be Thy Name (2016) and Volatile Mix (2017) respectively, silenced the doubters and saw Johnny Allen take his place among the leading riders in the country.

Fast forward to the current season and with confidence high following three wins at the Cox Plate Carnival, the Irishman partnered Extra Brut to win the Group 1 Victoria Derby on November 3rd.

Extra Brut and Johnny Allen, trained by Darren Weir wins the Group 1 Victoria Derby at Flemington in November Photo: Colin Bull.

Seven days later, Allen claimed yet another prestigious prize, winning the Group 1 MacKinnon Stakes on Trap For Fools. In that latter race, he just held the late burst of Latrobe, an Irish horse trained by Joe Crowley’s grandson Joseph O’Brien.

While Extra Brut was trained by Darren Weir, Trap For Fools also had a close connection to Allen’s boss. “Jarrod McLean, who is Darren’s foreman, trained the MacKinnon Stakes winner, so that made it even better. I had ridden the horse in some work but it was my first time on the track.”

Despite the significance of his recent success Allen is unaware if it has received much coverage back home. “My parents got up to watch the races and I received texts and calls from friends and lads I used to ride with. However, I have been gone from Ireland a long time now so I doubt it would have made a huge impact. I know our local paper The Avondhu ran a piece, as my mother sent me on the cutting.”

With a strong Irish contingent working within Australian racing, Allen certainly wasn’t short of wellwishers on that side of the world.

“Shane Jackson and Richie Cullen both work with me in Darren Weir’s so were there in person. Tom Ryan and some of the other Irish jockeys came to cheer me on as well, so it was just like being at home. The jumps boys are a close knit bunch and I still ride in National Hunt races over here whenever commitments allow.”

Johnny’s brother and sister currently live in Australia, so were also at the races on Cup week. His cousin and uncle also made the trip, while one of his best friends from home, Mickey Butler, was over on his honeymoon.

With his boss Darren Weir having one of the largest strings in the country, Allen is kept busy. “I am based here in Darren’s main yard in Ballarat, where I ride out four/five mornings a week. On the remaining days I may have to travel to one of his satellite yards to ride work, or take horses to barrier trials. We have racing seven days a week over here but I usually limit myself to four/five days a week on average.”

Despite the enormity of the country, much of the racing is confined to certain areas, so Allen seldom has to travel further than a two-hour radius of any one racecourse. On the odd occasion when a horse takes up an engagement at an interstate meeting, the jockey will usually fly to the races.

Aside from the huge amount of travel involved, Allen is also keen to dispel another myth; “while it gets very warm over here in summer, the winters are almost as bad as at home! I am based a good two hours inland, so can’t pack my bag and head to the beach every day after work. I suppose it depends on what part of the country you are living in but in my case it certainly isn’t as glamorous as people might imagine.”

Johnny Allen has clear objectives. “I like to think I will go back home one day but right now I’m not thinking that far ahead. I see my riding career as being here in Australia so as long as I continue to do well I will remain.”

Looking forward Allen said: "The Magic Millions are on the 12th January in the Gold Coast. I got a ride on one of the favourites in the two-year-old race - Yes Yes Yes is his name so hopefully he can run well.

"I kept an eye on the racing over Christmas, mainly on Twitter. I have most of it recorded I just didn't get a chance to watch it yet. Altior was definitely the standout horse for me, he just looks so much better than anything else. It was also great to see Aidan Coleman and Keith Donoghue ride their first Grade 1 winners".

Life is good for the Corkman down under. If the evidence of the last few months is anything to go by then it could be some time before Allen makes a permanent return to Ireland.