Shane winning on Create Belief at Leopardstown© Photo Healy Racing
It has been an unbelievable year so far, losing my claim, riding my first winner for Godolphin and then last week, riding my first two group winners in the space of 24 hours. That was just surreal.
When I saw my name down next to Create Belief in the Group 3 Invesco Pension Consultants Desmond Stakes at Leopardstown on Thursday and Earlswood in the Group 3 Fitzdares Royal Whip Stakes at The Curragh on Friday, to get two rides like that and then for everything to work out perfectly, you could hardly believe it.
I wasn’t nervous. I was in the zone. I knew the horses well. Obviously, I knew I needed a bit of luck but I was thinking I could possibly ride two winners. I was excited to ride them more than anything.
In both cases, it went completely to plan and they both found plenty when I asked them to go. They have been in good form and there is more to come from both of them. I know them inside-out from riding them at home and I’ve seen them running. I spoke to Ben (Coen) about them as well and obviously Johnny. But everything worked out right.
As Johnny said afterwards, I went to him wondering where my place was in the yard after Ben was appointed stable number one. Last year, myself and Ben had been sharing the rides, things were going well and I was riding plenty. When Ben became number one and he was riding every day, we weren’t really running two in the one race and I was just feeling a small bit left out because I wasn’t riding much. I suppose I did need a bit of reassurance so I went to Johnny. And things haven’t looked back since. Ben was unlucky to be suspended but I was lucky to get the rides and to win on them.
I’d say I have a very good strike rate because I haven’t had too many rides. I would like to get a few more outside rides and hopefully I’ve made things a little easier for my agent, Ciaran O’Toole, to get them.
Losing my claim was obviously a big deal. When you start out, you always want to ride out your claim and it was a special day at Dundalk on July 12, when I ended with a double. I lost my claim by winning on Puerto De Vega and then followed up later with my first winner for Godolphin, Safecracker, who was also Johnny’s first winner for them.
Shane with connections of Yuften at Dundalk© Photo Healy Racing
I had ridden my first Listed winner when Sonnyboyliston won the Martin Molony Stakes in June and I was second in the Aga Khan colours on the two-year-old Kerkiyra. When you think of the history of those colours, it is a dream really. It’s a massive thing and It means a lot. So I’ve had a very good year this year.
I turned 30 today (Thursday) and I’m feeling good about things. As a jockey, you can’t learn from anyone better than Johnny Murtagh but it’s also a yard I love being in. I jump out of bed in the morning to go to work because everyone is pulling in the one direction. I have a good relationship with Ben. I ride a lot of work with him and I tell him my opinion of a horse, he tells me his and we bounce off each other. He’ll ask me and I’ll tell him and vice versa. But that’s the way it is in Johnny’s. He seems to have created something really good in there. His man management is unbelievable.
