Oisin Orr

No matter what happens for the last couple of weeks of this season it has been a good year and I’ve had my highest number of winners and achieved my goal at the start of the season. This year I just wanted to get my claim down from 5lbs to 3lbs, that was my only aim and I managed to achieve that so I’m happy enough with that and now I’ll just keep going and see how many more I can get. If we get anything else out of it it would be a bonus.

Being champion apprentice would be a nice feat to achieve but if it happens it happens and it’s not something I’m really thinking of at the moment. It’s just very unfortunate for Ana O’Brien who probably would have won it but for her injury, but that is racing and they are the risks.

I get on very well with all the lads and any one of three or four could still end up being champion apprentice this season so we’ll see what happens. There’s a bit of craic in the weighroom about it but not much. I wasn’t expecting to be in this position at the start of the year but it would be a nice thing to do. My agent Kevin O’Ryan has done a good job in getting me to ride for all the people I’m riding for and got me plenty of good rides and they’re all a big help but Moonmeister winning the Cork Derby this year was probably the highlight of 2017.

I had to bide my time on him but it worked out well in the end and I can’t thank Tony Martin enough because he’s given me plenty of good rides and last year I won on Quick Jack on Irish Champions Weekend which was a great buzz. It was nice to get to win on Quick Jack because I probably should have finished second in the Ebor on him the start before that and if it wasn’t for Tony I probably wouldn't have had half of my winners, he’s been very good to me.

I’m based with Eddie Lynam and I get a good few rides off him. This is my third year here and Eddie is very good to work for and he gives you anything he can. Eddie is 100 per cent, if he has something to say, he’ll say it to you and that’s the way it should be.

I started off with Joanna Morgan and then moved to Eddie and thankfully things have gone well ever since I got my licence really. It’s satisfying to know that things didn't slow down when I went from my 5lbs claim down to 3lbs and that extra 2lbs is a help as it just means I can do a little bit lighter now. There’s more money to be made on the flat and less risk involved than jumping so that is enough of an incentive to keep my weight down anyway!

Coreczka has been another right little horse for me and I’ve won on her five times now and she’s won seven altogether for Clare Gannon. She just loves the sand. She was my first ride at Laytown and my first winner there so that was nice, although growing up by the beach in Donegal I was well used to it! My father, Raymond, and all my uncles were big into the pony racing and that’s where I started. I had 33 winners doing that but was well used to riding on the beach anyway so it was good to tick Laytown off.

Growing up I would have always looked up to Richard Hughes as he was tall and very stylish so you’d try to model yourself on somebody like him but I have to say the Irish weighroom is brilliant. You couldn't get better than Colin Keane, he’s so down to earth, and so is Pat Smullen. Most of the lads in the weighroom wouldn't have a bad word to say and would all give you a helping hand if you needed it.

I’m looking forward to the next couple of weeks and just trying to get as many winners as I can before the end of the season and then in January I’m going to Australia to spend a month with Gai Waterhouse and get some experience down there. That should be a good eye-opener. I couldn't be going to a better place.