Champion conditional jump jockey Foley opens training account Former champion conditional jump jockey Jack Foley saddled his first winner since taking out a licence earlier this year as Liberation Date justified odds-on favouritism in division one of the Irish EBF Median Sires Series Fillies Maiden at Dundalk. The Donnchadh Doyle-owned filly was placed here last month and was sent off the 5/6 favourite against 11 rivals. The daughter of Ghaiyyath was ridden to challenge over a furlong out by Luke McAteer and kept on well to reel in the front-running Daring Grace in the closing stages and score by a neck with Sagasti the same distance further back in third. Foley, who was crowned champion conditional rider in 2022, said: “Great to get the first one. The horses have been running really well and we have had plenty of horses placed. This lady had good form coming here today and we were expecting a big run from her. “She probably does (need every yard of that), but she will come on plenty now from that experience. She's a big lady and she's learning every day. She's going to improve again. “We always thought plenty of her. She's coming now and she is learning off every run. “Possibly she will be put away now and we'll wait for the turf to come back or we could come back up again here say in February or March. When she gets a break, she will strengthen up plenty for the break. "When she steps up in trip, she will improve. Hopefully, she can bring us to some good places if she is not sold. As with all our horses, they are all for sale. "Loved my time riding, and I suppose this was the next step and enjoying every minute of it. It is a completely different avenue to riding them. "I have big support from Donnchadh (Doyle), so I have to thank him an awful lot. He has provided me with a yard, and he has filled it as well, so very lucky. "I helped out with a few breezers last year and I got a good bug from that then. When Donnchadh and I spoke, that was the next step. There were plenty to train. "I have a couple of two-year-olds that haven't run. They will run next year as three-year-olds. I have a couple that might run up here next week. "Donnchadh has been very busy buying yearlings at the sales, so we are going to have a good number of horses next year and it is exciting." Quotes by Michael Graham
