I’VE only been riding as a conditional (jockey) less than a month, so hopefully that first winner last week (Miss Lia) will be the monkey off my back. Garry Cribbin has been doing great work as my agent, so getting the first one out of the way might make his job that bit easier. It’s still so fresh in the very early weeks but hopefully I can build on that win over the coming months. 

I got into racing through a first cousin of mine, Rachel Murphy. Now married to trainer Paul Kiely in Dungarvan, she would have been the closest within my family to have an interest in horses. With Rachel being a bit older than me, I would have followed her around as a kid; going into the different yards where she was riding out. I would have went to lead rein classes when I was small then got my own ponies in primary school. I started off with the Killinick Pony Club before later hunting with the Killinick Harriers. 

Lingstown point-to-point is just a stones throw from our house, so I would have been down there any time that was on. A lot of the jockeys that rode in points would have hunted with the Killinicks, so I knew them at that stage.

I would have followed lads like Benny Walsh, Mark Scallan and Gary Murphy when they rode every weekend. Jamie Codd is only over the road from us as well. When I got a bit older, I rode out and worked for Willie Codd and Liz Doyle on Saturdays. I got my point-to-point licence out while still in school, then went to work full-time for Willie for a couple of years after doing my Leaving Certificate. When I finished up in Willie’s, I did a stint back with Liz Doyle again. While I had ridden a few horses on the track, I mostly concentrated on point-to-points.  

Busy pointing

With the point-to-points getting busier, I moved on to work for Brian Jordan, while also spreading myself around other local point-to-point yards. It was through Gordon Michael Doyle, one of the handlers I rode work for, that I had my first winner on the track - Trans Wood at Listowel (June 2018). I didn’t ride that much under rules for the first few years. Most of the trainers I rode work for were point-to-point handlers, so over time the opportunities increased.

It was steady at first but gradually got to the point were I had rides in most races every weekend, including the four-year-old maidens. I rode 40-something winners in Irish point-to-points and four or five in the UK.

In 2020/’21, I had moved on from Brian Jordan and was based mainly between Michael Murphy and Harley Dunne. Through a connection with Mark Scallan, I rode a second track winner that season: Costalotmore in a bumper, again at Listowel. 

It was always in the back of my mind to turn conditional, as I enjoyed riding on the track and my weight was pretty contained. When Covid came and the point-to-points were shut down, I almost made the switch then, as racing continued behind closed doors. However, a few Irish handlers decided to send their point-to-pointers over to Britain as the sport continued without any issues.

I ended up going over to trainer Chris Barber for a couple of months to ride those ex-Irish horses amongst others. During that time I rode a few winners and also got to ride under rules in amateur races. When I came home, I went back to Harley Dunne where I was based four or five mornings a week. I did another point-to-point season, made plenty of new contacts and thoughts of turning conditional were pushed aside for a second time. 

Career highlight

In 2022, I got to win the La Touche Cup at Punchestown for Peter Maher on Ballyboker Bridge. That was definitely the highlight of my career so far. The following year, I went back and won the Ladies Cup at the festival on Three By Two for Denis Murphy. It was bittersweet, as the runner-up Vital Island was a horse that had done so much for my career. I won on him three times at our local Lingstown point-to-point and also got to ride that horse in a listed cross-country race at Craon in France in 2023.

When I came back from France last September, I decided that I’d give the point-to-points one last winter then switch to the track this year. I had always ridden a few horses for Philip Rothwell over the years, both in bumpers and points. He came to me in March this year, asking if I had any interest in riding on the track. I said that it had always been something I wanted to do but that I wanted to see out the point-to-points then turn conditional. I finished out the season, went to RACE, changed over my licence, then started with Philip. 

Philip has been very good to me since I started, so I was delighted to be able to reward him with the winner last week. Hopefully it will be just the first of many. Aside from him, I am very grateful to all of the other trainers, point-to-point handlers and owners that gave me opportunities over the years.

Without their support I wouldn’t be in the position I find myself in now. Last, but by no means least, my parents Sue and Harry, who drove me all around the county in the early days before I had a car of my own.  

Tiernan Power Roche was in conversation with John O’Riordan.