ROSS Coakley is looking forward to the challenge of renewing his riding career in Ireland, having moved home after a three-and-a-half-year spell in Britain that saw him partner close to 150 winners.

The 30-year-old says he will spend the majority of his time with Jim Bolger. Most of his winners and rides in Britain came for Rod Millman, Simon and Ed Crisford, Hugo Palmer, Ed Walker and James Fanshawe.

A native of Monasterevin, Co Kildare, Coakley’s biggest success on home soil came in the 2017 Irish Cambridgeshire on Takashi Kodama’s 25/1 shot Elusive Time.

He captured four blacktype events after making the move to Britain, including a German Group 3 on Hugo Palmer’s Dewhurst Stakes second Dubawi Legend in 2022.

“I’m itching to get going,” Coakley told The Irish Field. “I came back to base myself at Mr Bolger’s, I’m there two to three mornings a week. I always had it in my head that I’d like to come back if I had a base and this opportunity presented itself with Mr Bolger.

“Last year in Britain didn’t really materialise the way I would have liked. My winner count was slightly down [33 from 47 in 2023] and the nature of riding over there demands a lot of time on the road. It’s a tough way of life there. I’ve been away three years and eight months, so this feels like a bit of a clean start again in Ireland.”

Coakley expects to spend time riding out with Jack Davison, John McConnell and Kieran Cotter. He will be represented by agent Dave Keena.

“It’s been very reassuring that, since trainers have heard I’m back in Ireland, that they’ve picked up the phone and asked whether I can come to them for a morning,” said Coakley.

Important structure

“Obviously, the landscape is very competitive in Ireland, as it is in the UK. You’re going to have to work for everything. but I’m happy to come back and having a base feels quite important. I probably lacked a base in the UK in the last year.

“I was in with a few trainers, but always lacked someone who had first call on me to send me to a meeting. Plenty were willing to use me on the busier days with multiple meetings, but it’s quieter in that regard over the winter. You can spend a lot of time going for one ride in the UK, which doesn’t make sense with paying the bills.”

On the nature of his link-up with the Coolcullen team, Coakley added: “Last Saturday was the first main work morning and there was myself, Kevin Manning, who remains a big part of the team, and Declan McDonogh, who rode winners for Mr Bolger last season. Declan’s father [Dessie] has a long-standing relationship with Mr Bolger too.

“I’d imagine when Declan doesn’t have commitments with Joseph [O’Brien], he’ll be in line for rides and, equally, I hope to be riding too. One thing about Mr Bolger is that he’s very loyal and supports people who are there putting in the work in the mornings. I’m confident I’ll get opportunities and he still has a good number of horses for the year ahead. Hopefully, it will be a good season.”