Mark McDonagh

I’m 20 years of age and from Cratloe, near Bunratty, in Co Clare. I’m in my third year of a degree in business studies at UL and thankfully I’m able to combine that with my riding career. The university is very supportive regarding students who are also athletes as they facilitate me as much as possible with access to the facilities on the sports campus to keep fit and being able to move college work around racing every week. I’m actually doing exams this week and then I’ll be looking forward to the busy racing schedule around Christmas

My grandfather Michael trains near my home place and I started riding out for him when I was 12 or 13. I did a lot of showjumping and myself and my mother, Lorraine, looked after the ponies at home and brought them to competitions. In my area there was more of a focus on showjumping than ‘flapping’ so I didn’t come through the pony-racing route.

After I spent a summer riding out for Enda Bolger and having had a handful of rides as an amateur, I had a chat with Enda about turning conditional and he advised me to go for it.

I joined up with my agent Gary Cribbin just before the Listowel Festival last year and had my first winner that week on Blackjack Boy for Eric McNamara. He’s owned by a syndicate which includes my father, also Mark, and my uncle Darragh so that made it extra special. Later that week I won on Drumacoo for Michael Hourigan and he’s been very supportive towards me. I spend half the week riding out for Michael and I’m in Aengus King’s two days a week and still ride out for my grandfather.

Because of my studies in Limerick I’m predominantly based with trainers in this region but I’m certainly happy to go anywhere for a winner. I get a lot of satisfaction working with trainers who don’t have the huge strings of other yards but are well able to do the job and it’s great to bring a plan to fruition with them on the track.

This season is going well with ten winners on the board so far and winning a Grade 3 on Nell’s Well at Cork last weekend was a special day particularly as I couldn’t utilise my claim. Myself and trainer Sean O’Brien thought she’d run well and had a better chance than her rating suggested because she stays well and relishes soft ground. With the two long straights and island hurdles, I was able to weave in and out down the paint to try and find the best ground for her and it worked out well.

Earlier in the campaign I won a Grade B handicap hurdle at Killarney on a horse owned by dad called Wouldn’t You Agree who’s trained by Eoin Griffin. He ran well at Listowel afterwards and is a horse that likes real nice ground so he’s on a break at the moment and he’ll be aimed at some nice prizes next spring and summer. He’s a good stamp of a horse and should make a chaser as well.

There are plenty of people, between family and trainers, who support me and give me advice on how to improve. When I was watching racing as a young lad Paul Carberry was always a favourite jockey of mine in how he used his head in a race and his style and patience on a horse.

At the moment I have eighteen months or so left in college. As my mother says, it will be nice to have the ‘piece of paper’ (degree) but then the plan is to continue making a career as a jockey. I know I have to keep improving but if you want something badly enough, and are determined enough, then you give yourself the best chance of being successful. It’s such a competitive environment in Ireland and it will take full-time commitment to achieve what I want to but I’m certainly going to continue to give it everything.