Shane Foley

I’m just back from Japan where I rode in the All Star Jockeys Challenge and finished fifth and it was a great experience.

I think just four other riders have represented Ireland in the event, Mick Kinane, Johnny Murtagh, Christy Roche and Pat Smullen so it was an honour to be asked, it was just a pity not to get a winner out of it.

I spent two winters in Japan and made some good connections down there and then after winning the Irish 2,000 Guineas this year they asked me would I be interested in going out for this event and I was privileged to be asked. I was delighted they asked me to go down and I probably had a bit more experience of Japan than most of the jockeys in the challenge. It is very different down there. You go into lock down before the race and can’t have any contact with people and racing is very popular there. It’s always nice to experience different cultures but I was well used to it this time.

I just got touched off in one race and was placed on a couple of others but it’s back to normal now at Bellewstown on Wednesday!

This season was always going to be different as I was going freelance and didn’t have that comfort net of a yard like Mick Halford’s behind me but I’m absolutely thrilled with the way things are going and I’m on course to beat last year's tally of winners.

It was an important year and a step into the unknown for me. Even when I was with Mick I used to pick up a lot of outside rides and winners so it wasn’t that daunting but things are flying, that God, and I couldn’t have wished for it to have gone any better.

There was no falling out with Mick in any way and I’ve still ridden plenty for him this year and I regularly ride work for him and I’ll ride plenty more winners for him with a bit of luck.

To ride a 2,000 Guineas winner for Ken Condon was massive. Ken has always supported me and never looked past me and I was thrilled to be able to reward himself and owner Robert Ng.

I always knew that I had the backing of some big stables and then to land the job for Mr Zhang was brilliant.

I’ve had a bit of luck for him down through the years and he is an owner that is just getting bigger and has some really nice horses. Michael Donohue is Mr Zhang’s agent and we work very well together and that is important too. Michael has been a big help to me.

Johnny Murtagh is another man that has been great for me this year and we’ve really clicked with a few horses. He’s a really good trainer and his results are showing that this year and Jessica Harrington is another trainer I’ve ridden a good few winners for down through the years so while going freelance was a step into the unknown, it was something I looked forward to rather than was nervous about. I looked at it as a plus rather than a negative.

This time last year I wasn’t even at the 30 winner bracket and I’m at 38 already and a better quality of winner so I certainly can’t complain and I hope there’s a lot to look forward to still.

Ciaran O’Toole is my agent and he does a very good job for me and I work hard. I wouldn’t be one to stay in the bed, I like to get out and make contacts and keep busy. Monday and Tuesday’s I’d be knocking around the Curragh and I’d be in with Ken Condon, on Wednesday I go into Jessie’s and on Thursday I go down to Joseph O’Brien’s and I really enjoy that. I’ve picked up the odd spare for Joseph and had a nice winner for him at Navan this year. I’d be with Johnny Murtagh on Friday and Saturday and I’d always be on the other end of the phone for anyone who was working horses on the Curragh.

There’s always someone to meet and I might not be able to always ride the horses I ride work on but somewhere along the line you might get the chance.

Champions Weekend is the next big date in the diary on the Flat and it’ll be hard to pick up rides in the Group 1’s but there’ll be a few spares going over the weekend and I’m looking forward to it. Mr Zhang has some nice two-year-olds to run and I’m really looking forward to riding Romanised again. He’s had an easy 10 days after his run in France and we were delighted with that run. He has a few options now but there’s a race over seven furlongs in France on Arc weekend that could suit him and I think he will have a big say in another top race this year.

I’m not sure what I’ll do for the winter. I’m getting married in December so that is top priority! I’m not sure if I’ll go back to Japan but I’ll be free in January and February and Mr Zhang has a lot of horses in China and Singapore so that might be an option to go out there for something different. I think it is nice to get away before the turf season starts here, it’s nice to get a break and it keeps you hungry. I’ll keep my options open and try to finish off the season here as best we can first.