WITH only one week remaining until the 2015 Breeders’ Cup Championship, Co Tipperary-born Michelle Nevin remains calm and quietly hopeful on the chances of her stable standard bearer, By The Moon in the $2,000,000 Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies next Saturday, November 1st at Santa Anita Park.

“I’ve been to the Breeders’ Cup many times before, but obviously it is very exciting to have horses of your own in the race. The horses will ship there on the October 28th. Hopefully they come forward. Hopefully, they handle the track and the distance. They are only babies and so much of this stuff is new to them.”

By The Moon, winner of the Grade 1 Frizette Stakes and Paulassilverlining, winner of the Grade 2 Matron Stakes, completed a remarkable weekend in October at Belmont Park for young Nevin, who only took out her training license, less than two years ago in January 2013.

IMMERSED IN RACING

Born and raised in Co Tipperary, Nevin grew up in a family immersed in horse racing. She is the daughter of jockey and trainer Michael Nevin and granddaughter of trainer Richard ‘Dick’ Nevin.

“I grew up in Fethard and spent most of my youth riding ponies around my grandfathers’ farm. I just always loved horses, always.

“Like any other kid, I wanted to be just like my dad. My dad rode races and I wanted to be just like him.”

Nevin moved to America like many others, just for a summer, at the age of 16 to work for trainer Leo O’Brien. The attraction was instant for Michelle, and she took to the country like a duck to water and since that first summer, has never looked back.

“I liked how they did different things, the way the racing was done, it was all different and new and I was interested right away.

“My dad and my grandfather always had a mixture of bumper and National Hunt horses. When I started working in the US, it was strictly flat horses, racing on dirt, in a completely different setting. The horses were amazing, so fast and I guess I just got hooked.

“At home you are based on a farm and you travel to the track. Here you have a main base but we travel around the country.

“When we go to Florida and all these other tracks it’s just a great opportunity to learn more. You are meeting different people, different ways of doing things and learning on different track surfaces. So there is plenty of benefit to it all, in such a different way.”

Nevin spent time in America with some of the best in the business, including leading trainer Kieran McLaughlin. However, it was the 12 years spent as assistant trainer and top rider for Richard Dutrow that Michelle credits for helping her reach the heights she has achieved to date.

With Dutrow, Michelle assisted in the management of many top class horses. Most notably, Michelle travelled with Benny The Bull, winner of the $2million Golden Shaheen and Diamond Stripes, winner of the $1million Godolphin Mile to Dubai in 2008.

Almost at the same time as Benny The Bull crossed the finish line at Nad Al Sheeba, Dutrow’s most famous horse was about to make his winning start in the 2008 Grade 1 Florida Derby, before going on to win the first two legs of the Triple Crown later that year, the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness Stakes.

The horse was of course Big Brown and until October this year, Michelle was best known as his regular exercise rider.

“I’ve been really lucky to have had the opportunity to be around some very good horses and some really great people in racing,” Michelle explained.

Richard Dutrow, a colourful and controversial trainer whose horses have won nearly $80 million in purse earnings over a 24-year training career is currently fighting a 10-year training ban for drug violations in North America. A ban that began in New York but has now been reciprocated across the United States, effectively putting an end to his training career.

Despite the controversy, Nevin is thankful for her time at Dutrow’s and credited him as being ‘an excellent horseman’.

“One of the biggest lessons I learned from him, was to read your horses. It is all about them. They have to have the best of everything. Take your time, use your common sense and don’t rush things. He was a very particular man, he had a great feeding programme, the horses always looked well and it was a great opportunity to learn.”

Although Nevin cites legendary trainers Vincent O’Brien and Aidan O’Brien as her biggest inspirations, she insists the decision to go out on her own in America, instead of Ireland, was a very obvious one for her to make.

“No matter where you start, you have to have people who are going to back you. For me, having spent so many years here and already having a relationship with my owners, it was a great opportunity and they were willing to stand by me and give me a chance. That opportunity would never have been there for me at home.”

Nevin’s most high profile owner is Samantha Seigel’s Jay Em Ess Stable. Californian-based Seigel, is already a multiple graded stakes-winning owner who has campaigned the likes of Include Me Out, winner of the Grade 1 Santa Margarita Stakes and earned an Eclipse Award with the unbeaten Champion two-year-old male, Declan’s Moon. Her late father is credited with founding the Thoroughbred Owners of California foundation and Samantha has carried on his legacy and is one of North America’s most powerful and well respected owner-breeders.

Seigel’s loyalty has already been well rewarded with By The Moon, Nevin’s first Grade 1 win and Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Filllies hopeful.

The two-year-old Indian Charlie filly is one of the race’s leading contenders behind Todd Pletcher’s favoured Angela Renee, winner of the Grade 1 Chandelier Stakes over course and distance in September.

“To get this opportunity with Samantha Seigel who has stuck with me from the beginning, is simply a blessing.

“I just try to not let anybody down, do the right thing, allow the stable to grow and hopefully that will bring more opportunities my way.

“My goal is always to improve the stock that I have, so that I am able to compete in bigger races.”

Nevin looks forward, past the Breeders’ Cup and cautiously to the winter in Florida and the 2015 season, with her trademark level head and practicality.

“It’s all about the horses and I just want to focus on them. To concentrate and do well with them. They are going to develop and change, we have to give them plenty of time to grow up and grow forward.”

With two top class juveniles, a deep and loyal owner base and a lifetime of experience with some of the best, this bright young Irishwoman is a stateside star most definitely on the rise.