IT was nice to come back over to Ireland and ride a Group 2 winner on Poet Master at the Curragh last weekend.

Having served my time as an apprentice with Kevin Prendergast, I have some good memories of my time there. I have also kept in touch with a lot of the lads I rode with, so it was nice catching up with everyone.

I got into horses through my Dad, who was a huntsman. As soon as I was old enough, I would have been out with him at every opportunity.

In my early teens, I started mucking out and riding out for jumps trainer Peter Bowen at home in Wales. After my dad got a job over in Ireland with the North Galway Foxhounds in Tuam, I would have been back and forth regularly.

Dad’s boss was friendly with Ken Condon, who trained on the Curragh. He trained right across the road from Kevin Prendergast and suggested that if I wanted to make it as an apprentice, I should go to Kevin.

I started around 16 or 17 and took out my apprentice licence. The first ride I had on the flat actually fell, clipping heels and coming down at Dundalk. I was lucky enough to win on my third ride, Almass at Gowran Park (May 2008). That same mare then gave me my second winner, a huge early boost to my career, when winning the Ahonoora Handicap at the Galway Festival.

Great time

It was a great time to be working for Kevin. Padraig Beggy had just left but Declan McDonogh was stable jockey and Chris Hayes was number two. Chris Geoghegan and Bryan Cooper were also apprentices in my time, while Gary Halpin came just after me.

I spent about five years in Ireland and had just 10 or 15 winners left on my claim when I decided to return to Britain. Funnily enough, even back then the Curragh was a happy hunting ground. I won the Irish Cesarewitch on Minsk for John Oxx and a big premier handicap on Irish Derby day for Cecil Ross on Six Of Hearts.

With winners proving harder to come by and Chris well established as stable jockey with Kevin, I went over to David O’Meara as apprentice.

With so much more racing in Britain, I rode out my claim shortly after coming over. After a couple of years, David and I went our separate ways. Grant Tuer rang me up and asked if I would come and ride out for him. Up north, I also started riding out for Kevin Ryan, Geoff Huffer and Karl Burke.

I was steady to get going if I’m honest. I rode a nice few winners early on but then had a couple of quiet years.

Group 1 winner

The last two years have been good to me. Last year, I rode my first Group 1 winner on Poptronic on Champions Day and also had my best season to date numerically with over 80 winners.

So far, this season hasn’t been as good if I am honest. I had a couple of suspensions and also just went to the wrong meeting at times. Sometimes you decide to go to the bigger meeting on a particular day but can often end up missing a winner or two at one of the smaller ones.

At the same time, you tend to ride a better quality of horse at the major tracks. It’s just a case of having to decide the right way to go in that regard.

Poet Master obviously had a live chance at the Curragh on Sunday but I wouldn’t say I was confident of winning. I had galloped him during the week and he felt back to his best after disappointing at Haydock but the Irish race looked a competitive Group 2.

I did expect the horse to run well but coming over here taking on the likes of Aidan (O’Brien) you can never be confident.

I would have been happy to make the running if no-one else did, but it worked out perfect to get a lead from Seamie.

I was able to get him switched off in behind and although he got to the lead sooner than ideal, I knew he would keep galloping all the way to the line. It was great to ride another winner back at the Curragh; I really enjoyed it. I’d be good friends with the likes of Leigh Roche and Chris, so it was nice to see everyone for the two days.

I’ve ridden Poet Master on all seven of his starts, including five wins, so I’d like to thank Karl and the owner (Sheikh Mohammed Obaid Al Maktoum) for leaving me on the horse.

Sam was in conversation with John O’Riordan