WINNING both the Ladies Cup and Cross Country Chase at Punchestown last week was a real thrill, although the fall of Vital Island in Thursday’s La Touche was a bitter pill to swallow.

Going into the festival, I felt I had genuine chances in all three banks races, so to unseat in the second leg left me wondering what might have been.

As an amateur jockey, it was still very satisfying to win on two of just three rides during the week.

My grandfather taught me how to ride bareback, after making a headcollar for an old hunter he had at home. From there, I moved on to ponies and hunting with the Killinick Harriers.

I remained actively involved with the Harriers over the years and, pre-Covid, we had won the team chase event at the Dublin Horse Show for four years in a row.

My initial education came through Pat and Janet Walsh, who lived just down the road from us at home in Wexford. Next, I moved on to the racing yard of Padge Berry where I furthered that education.

As a teenager, I also spent a summer working with fellow county man, Jim Bolger; an invaluable experience for any young lad.

After leaving school, I worked full-time with Padge Berry for a year, while also riding out for local trainers such as Richard O’Keeffe and Martin (Murt) Doran. He gave me my first rides on the racecourse in 2001/’02 but I had already some point-to-point experience prior to that.

Point-to-points

During a spell with Tony Mullins, I rode a few horses to be placed in bumpers, before returning home to Wexford. There, I concentrated on point-to-points, while riding the odd few every year on the track.

Pottersway was my first winner under Rules, when successful in a beginners’ chase at Tipperary for Richard O’Keeffe in 2007.

Although I continued to have a handful of rides under rules, my first high profile winner was Big Shu in the Ladies Cup at the 2012 Punchestown Festival.

In those days, that race was the first of the week, so it was deadly to make a winning start to the Festival. This year, it was moved to later in the week but it was equally exciting to win aboard Vital Island.

In 2016, I was a winner over the banks course again, this time on Mtada Supreme in the Cross Country Chase. That horse came back a year later to win the Risk of Thunder Chase in November.

Also in 2017, Need To Know won the Cross Country Chase at the Festival, before going on to win the Prix de Gene in Lyons (France). That race is one of the highlights in the French calendar, so to win it was a huge honour for both myself and trainer John Paul Brennan.

Banks horse

It takes a particular type of horse to adapt to the banks course. You don’t want one that is too brave, nor do you want one that is too careful.

Too brave and a horse is likely to overjump and make a mistake, while a horse that backs off the fences will struggle to make an impression.

I have been fortunate over the years to have ridden some very good banks horses, trained by some of the best men in that discipline.

If you are on the best horse that is trained specifically for those races, then you already have an advantage going out. With the horses I rode last week, it could so easily have been three from three, only for myself and Vital Island to go our separate ways in the La Touche.

While I look forward to competing in the banks races, as well as the other odd ride under rules every year, my main focus has always been on the point-to-point scene.

I have ridden well over 100 winners during my career, while in later years, myself and my wife Jenny have built up a very successful business at her home place. It is very family orientated,

Jenny’s mam Ann minds the kids and her dad Frank does all the mucking out. We are very appreciative of their support, as we couldn’t do it without them. We buy three-year-olds with the intention of winning or getting them placed in their point-to-point before selling them on.

Sold on

Last year, we sold The Goffer to Gordon Elliott at the Cheltenham Sale and that horse went on to win his maiden hurdle at Navan, before doing likewise in a Grade 3 hurdle at Thurles.

Our Jet, who we broke and trained for Douglas Taylor, was bought privately by Ryan Mahon for Dan Skelton after being placed on his debut at Dromahane. He subsequently went on to win his maiden hurdle and then his novice hurdle.

Autumn Glory, a filly Bobby O’Ryan bought for Ruth Jefferson after winning her point-to-point, went on to win on her bumper debut just six weeks later. Our horses are proven to train on once we have sold them; something that is very important to any potential buyer. We sold a few very nice horses at Cheltenham this year - Bannow Bay Boy, Crossgales Moon and Man At Work.

Hopefully all three will go on to develop into nice horses and do well for their new owners. At any one time, we would have upwards of 20 horses here in the yard but most are sold on as soon as they win or are placed in their point-to-point.

Aside from Jenny and myself, Aaron Bogen is here full-time, while Adam Grant and Barry Stone ride out once a week.

Benny Walsh was in conversation with John O’Riordan