ASK any ‘new recruits’ to the training ranks and they will instantly tell you how competitive Ireland is to try and make a name for yourself. One man who did just that in his first season with a trainer’s licence is Navan-based Cian Collins.

They always advise someone starting out to learn from the best around and Cian ticked those boxes to further his racing interests from an early age.

“My uncle breeds and my dad owned a couple of horses. I did pony racing and show jumping when I was younger,” he said.

“I did a year and a half with Dessie Hughes before I went to Gordon Elliottt’s. Being a jockey was the plan really, but I got injured and I wasn’t able to go back so I changed to training.”

Six years in the Cullentra yard was a good base for starting out on his own when he took out his licence 11 months ago. When we spoke mid week he had 10 winners and added another with a one/two in the mares’ hurdle at Killarney on Thursday.

“I’ve had 11 winners on the track, I’m very happy with how it’s gone,” he acknowledged.

Every newcomer needs a horse to rise the profile and Collins was steeped in luck when owner Tommy Sheridan put the doughty mare Effernock Fizz into the rookie trainer’s care after her original trainer gave up her licence.

The mare was a great advertisement for the young trainer’s abilities and she was the star of his first season giving him a big win in the Welsh Champion Hurdle at Ffos Las under Sam Ewing last October.

The yard’s flagbearer gave him his first winner as a trainer and also narrowly lost out at the Cheltenham October meeting, while she represented the team in the Arkle at the Cheltenham Festival and won again at Ludlow in Feburary.

Highlight

“She was brilliant, I was very lucky to have her. That win in the Welsh Champion Hurdle would have been the highlight and Mighty Tom winning the listed race in Killarney was very good too,” he recalls.

The 25-year-old initially had around 30 horses at different stages of preparation for a track career. “I still have about 30 in training but I have more horses to run now.”

Similar to the early days of the Elliott yard, the Collins trips to Britain are bearing fruit with four of his winners coming across the water and Fiveonefive was the most recent winner at the beginning of the month in Cartmel.

“It’s going well, going over, I’ve had a few winners over there. It’s straightforward going over, it’s a bit costly but when they win, it’s well worth it.”

"Denis is a big part of the team and helps us out a good bit." \ Healy Racing

Denis O’Regan was on board Fiveonefive, and Collins is making use of his expertise and knowledge. “Denis is a big part of the team and helps us out a good bit, and so does Davy Condon. They are a great help, they are both Grade 1-winning jockeys. You can’t go too far wrong with them.”

Looking forward to the jumps season ahead, Collins stated: “I’d like to get a bit bigger and keep getting the winners, that’d be the main plan, as many winners as you can.”