JUST after Christmas, when usually I would have been riding over jumps at either Leopardstown or Limerick, I rode a Group 3 winner on the flat at Eagle Farm.

That win, my biggest since moving to Australia over a year and a half ago, capped what has been a great couple of months for me. My Group 3 winner, Give Me Space, ran yesterday in the A$3 million (€1.8 million) Magic Millions 3YO Guineas on the Gold Coast. In an 18-runner field we finished fast to finish a very close second. In another couple of strides we would have been in front.

I grew up in a racing yard, riding out for my dad Philip until after my Junior Certificate. I then moved to the Curragh, where I was apprenticed to Johnny Murtagh for a couple of seasons. I rode some nice winners on the flat, even getting to ride at Royal Ascot, before I switched to jumping.

I went on to ride for Gordon Elliott who, like my dad, had always been a great supporter. I was lucky enough to ride plenty of good horses for J.P. McManus and trainer Gavin Cromwell.

In 2015, I rode a winner at the Cheltenham Festival on the Willie Mullins-trained Killultagh Vic. That was an ambition I always wanted to achieve, so it was fantastic to do so. Borice winning the Galway Plate for Gordon Elliott in 2019 was another day that I will never forget. Every winer I rode for my dad meant a lot but graded hurdle wins on Derrinross stand out. I also won graded hurdles on Darasso for Joseph O’Brien. In all, I rode over 200 winners in Ireland both on the flat and over jumps.

Hoped to return

Back in 2016, I spent 10 days in Australia as part of the Irish team in the annual jump jockeys’ challenge. I really enjoyed my brief visit to the country and hoped to return at some point.

In May 2023, after the Punchestown Festival finished on the Saturday, I flew out on the Monday. I had planned to be home for Galway but I loved it out there so kept putting it back. After my next deadline in September passed, I decided that I would give it the year out here.

At first I was based in Victoria where I rode over jumps. It’s quite a short season over here, less than six months with just one meeting a week. The leading half-dozen jockeys are very good, so the chance to break through and pick up any spare rides is limited.

I actually rode my first winner in Australia on the flat on a horse named Fighting Sweet at Hanging Rock on New Year’s Day (2024). In all, I rode four winners during my time in Victoria.

Eagle Farm

Last August I made the move to Queensland. I came up to Eagle Farm racecourse in Brisbane just over three months ago. I am currently based with trainer Barry Lockwood. I am in his stables six mornings a week and he has been really good to me.

Normally, I would have expected to start off on the country tracks before working my way to the provincial and metro tracks but Barry gave me my first four or five rides at the metro tracks.

Although I hadn’t ridden a winner in Queensland when I started with him, Barry saw enough in me to give me the chance on Give Me Space. With his regular rider Jimmy Orman in Dubai, I rode Give Me Space to win at Doomben in November.

The horse then had two more starts after that but Jimmy was back in the saddle. At the start of December, Jimmy had the top of his finger bitten off removing a tongue-strap from a horse, so Barry put me back up for the Group 3 race at Eagle Farm.

I was delighted to be able to repay the faith Barry has shown in me by winning my first group race. It’s something that I could scarcely have imagined when I was riding over jumps back home in Ireland but I’m really enjoying it. I never thought I’d stay in Australia for more than a few months but things have really taken off recently.

Give Australia a go

I had plenty of great days at home, even right up to when I left. It wasn’t as if the rides had dried up or anything, I just wanted to give Australia a go.

After struggling over jumps in Victoria, I have really had a new lease of life since switching to the flat in Queensland. I’ve ridden 15 winners in the last two months and obviously that first group race winner has been unbelievable.

To be honest, I have no real long-term plans; I’m just taking it day by day. Obviously, I do miss home. I know that I will definitely ride in Ireland again at some stage. Whether that is full-time or while back home on holidays, I just don’t know yet.

I’ve built up several new contacts over here and riding a big race winner has brought me to the attention of more trainers. I’m really enjoying it at the moment, so I’m just going to take things as they come.

It would have been incredible if Give Me Space had won the Magic Millions Guineas last night. We had our work cut out being drawn 17 of 18. Being that wide, we had to drop in and come with a late run and we almost pulled it off. The winner, Bosustow (by Blue Point), had a much better draw, sat mid-division and got first run on us.

The winner’s purse was $1.7 million (€1 million) and we earned $540,000 (€325,000) for finishing second.

Luke Dempsey was in converstation with John O’Riordan