Eddy Greatrex

Ireland has provided me with a lease of new life as a jockey and I am loving every second of it since starting out with Joseph O’Brien. They’re all just very easy-going and good to work for.

It took me a couple of rides to get used to the style of Irish racing. Tracks tend to be a lot tighter here, and sharper. That creates a bit of congestion through the field and they go a lot faster early. That is the only difference really. Once you get used to it, it is a lot easier to ride because they always go a nice gallop. It is a bit tighter and a bit rougher type of racing but I feel like after my first few rides now I have definitely got the hang of it all and am actually enjoying my riding over here.

Things had started to slow down for me in England after three operations. I know Brendan Powell well and he got me over here. I was only coming over to get back fit and ready to go racing but I loved it that much that I thought I would give it a go and see how we get on. Obviously with everything that has gone on it is going to be a bit of a compressed season. There is plenty of racing to be done and Joseph has loads of lovely horses that need to run this year. Hopefully, a few opportunities arise and I can grab a couple of them.

There are loads of lads that ride for Joseph but he has been very good to me. I rode the first day of the season. There have been a few double meetings. It opens up a lot more doors to me to get a few more rides. Hopefully, there will be a few nice ones along the way.

Two of my operations were on my back and the first week after I returned to riding, I split my bowel at Wolverhampton. I had to have another operation after that. The recovery time for that was a good few months. I think I was out, in total, just shy of six months. I missed a major part of the season, especially on the turf. By the time I came back, it was all-weather racing. Every trainer had their jockeys and everything slowed up slightly for me.

Unfortunately, that is part of the game. Two years ago, I had 72 winners but when we get handed things like the operations, we have to take the medicine. It was in the contract, and I know what I signed up for. One week you can be flying sky high and the next you could be in bed for two months. It’s part of the job.

I grew up around horses. Dad (Warren) is a trainer who had a big winner in Ireland with La Bague Au Roi last year and has enjoyed a good bit of success over the years including at Cheltenham. My twin Tom and I became jockeys.

Winning the Balmoral Handicap on Musaddas in the Godolphin colours for Saeed Bin Suroor in 2015 at Ascot was a day I will never forget. I was 17 years of age. It was a breakthrough win and put me on the map. I got loads of support after that. Things just went really well from there. Just a few months before that, I got to ride a winner on Oaks Day in one of the handicaps, Elbereth for Andrew Balding. I was still only 16 and that set me in good stead. The Listed Prix de la Californie in France last year on Barys got me off the mark in stakes company and continued a great run I had with Archie Watson.

I hope that there is more to come but we’ll just have to see. There is no point in making plans because this game is very fickle. Things can happen so quick and I have learnt that over the years even though I am still only 21. But I am just enjoying racing at the minute and enjoying riding out and being part of a team. If it all goes well there is no reason to say I can’t stay here. I am open-minded about the future and will take each day as it comes.