REACHING the shortlist of nominees for the Leadership Award at last months BHA organised Godolphin Thoroughbred Industry Employee Awards was a proud moment for me. As the only Irish-born person to get to the final stages, I was delighted to be recognised in such a manner. It was also nice to be able to represent my boss Tom Lacey and work colleagues who had nominated me.

I started off riding ponies at home in Co Cork; hunting with the Duhallow (Hunt) and Muskerys and also doing a bit of eventing.

I first sat on a racehorse when I was 16, during work experience with a family friend, Eugene O’Sullivan. He was a good man to educate both horses and humans. At that time, Eugene had some lovely horses belonging to the late Trevor Hemmings in the yard. I received a great education that set me on the right path. Eugene got me started riding in points. I had 40 odd rides but sadly, no winner. As my father used to say “if anyone else had rode the horse they probably would have won!”

I spent two summers working for Jim Bolger. It was a great time to be in that yard, with horses such as New Approach and Lush Lashes in training. Jim was a great man to work for. After finishing in school, I worked full-time for Jim for a year - I couldn’t have asked for a better grounding. Coolcullen was run like clockwork and a great place to learn. I was riding a bit in point-to-points but had a bad fall in Tattersalls in 2010 which put my riding career on hold. I returned home and went to work for local man John Joseph Murphy. I progressed to becoming head lad; it was a great experience on the day-to-day running of a yard, I spent two years with John. In 2013, I went on and did the Irish National Stud Course - it was here I met my wife Victoria Macauley. After finishing the course we went down to the Hunter Valley in Australia. It was a great experience to see how things are done out there. I rode a bit of track work and worked in the stud in the afternoons. When I came home, I went to work for Philip Fenton. From there, I moved closer to home to work for Terence O’Brien for two years.

My in-laws, the Macauley family, bred horses, the most famous of all being Brave Inca. I trained a few point-to-point winners for Denis Macauley; the first being Aztec Chief at Lingstown in 2017. The following year, I moved over to the UK, as my wife, Victoria Macauley, worked in a stud farm over there.

Over seas

From moving to the UK, I worked for Tom Lacey. He is a great horseman who has always been very good to me. I went in as a work rider but have progressed to become head lad.

I have continued to train a few pointers since coming over here; the first being Matchadam at Larkhill in 2022. In December, I sold that same horse at the Goffs Tingle Creek Sale, the first time I consigned one under my own name. Tom(Lacey) started out training point-to-pointers with a view to selling them on, so I learned under one of the best. I only have the two horses, which I ride out myself during lunchtime. Sadly, Victoria’s father Denis (Macauley) passed away last September but we still have horses that he bred left to race. Hopefully one of them can go on and be even half as good as Brave Inca.

Tom Lacey has 50 horses in at the moment, so the yard is constantly busy. Blow Your Wad winning at Kempton over Christmas and returning to win a Grade 2 chase at that same track last month would rank amongst my highlights in racing so far. I think our horses will by-pass Cheltenham, in favour of waiting for Aintree.

Working in racing is a job you do without expecting any thanks for recognition, so for my colleagues to nominate me for the recent awards was very satisfying. I really enjoy doing what I am doing; working in Tom’s and keeping a few pointers of my own. Although it’s not quite Cork, Herefordshire is a nice part of the world to work in! Longer term, myself and Victoria would like to set up back home in Ireland at some stage but we have to be realistic.

There are definitely more opportunities here in the UK, as the Irish scene is just so competitive at the minute. I love bringing on young horses, seeing them develop and progress through the point-to-points. After the experience of the Tingle Creek Sale, I’d love to consign more horses in the future.

Away from racing, I’m currently training for the London Marathon. Having completed a few half marathons last summer, it’s been a goal of mine for awhile now to do a full one. While doing so, I hope to raise much needed money for spinal research.

Eamonn O’Donnabhain was in coversation with John O’Riordan