ROSSA Ryan returns to the saddle at Wolverhampton this evening following a month’s rest, his first real break in two years.

The 24-year-old rode 201 winners in Britain last year and was All-Weather Champion Jockey, but of course he will be remembered more for winning the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe on Bluestocking. The same mare gave him his first Irish Group 1 win in the Pretty Polly Stakes at the Curragh, and he ended the year with a Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint success on Starlust.

Ralph Beckett, trainer of the now-retired Bluestocking and Starlust, will again be supplying Ryan with the bulk of his mounts. Ryan is the 5/2 second favourite for the UK jockeys’ title behind reigning champion Oisin Murphy, with Billy Loughnane, William Buick and Tom Marquand all close behind on around 5/1 each. The title is decided on winners ridden between 2000 Guineas day (May 4th) and Champions Day (October 19th). Murphy won the title in 2024 with 163 winners. Ryan finished second on 110.

After finishing a gym session on Wednesday morning, Ryan told The Irish Field: “We’re back to zero now and, while our target is to get to 200 winners again, it will be a race against time, because we have missed the month of January, which we didn’t for the last two years. We have a lovely bunch of horses, which you’d have to be excited about.”

Apart from a week in Dubai, Ryan spent his Christmas and new year at home in Tuam, Co Galway. Last week, he was invited back to his national school in Ballinderry, just outside Tuam, where teachers and pupils gave him a hero’s welcome. “It was a bit surreal and very touching,” he said. “The children are very young, but the teachers had shown them some of my races before I arrived. They had lots of questions for me and I spent an hour or two there. It felt a bit strange, but it was very good.”

Ryan presented signed pictures of Bluestocking to the school.

It was on then to the Medtronic Galway Sports Stars Awards in the Galway Bay Hotel, where Ryan was honoured for the third year. The awards selection committee is chaired by Connaught Tribune sports editor John McIntyre, a keen racing fan, who enjoyed chatting with Ryan and family. Ryan also had the opportunity to chat with local GAA stars, Eanna Burke (hurling) and Paul Conroy (football).