Navan© Photo Healy Racing
It was at the Garristown, County Dublin horse and pony race meeting in May 2012, that Tom 'Socks' Madden initially hit the headlines, when riding his first winner, but the then fourteen-year-old possibly achieved a feat unprecedented at any level of racing by having a four-timer on the day of his breakthrough.
Younger brother of Grand National winning pilot Niall 'Slippers' Madden (Numbersixvalverde 2006) and son of trainer, Niall senior, known to one and all as 'Boots,' young Tom has his first racecourse ride at Navan today aboard his mother Patricia's Hazy Days in the Trim Apprentice Handicap and on J P McManus' Salesin in the Meath Handicap.
The former McManus-owned Hazy Days has been hurdling of late and here he drops back to sprinting under August's Dingle Derby hero Madden in the 2.35.
That is the highlight of the horse and pony racing year and Madden captured the County Kerry centrepiece on the Peter Mooney-owned, Ryan Gormley-trained Jack Daniels, at a venue known as Ballintaggart Racecourse.
At 4.35 today, Salesin, a stalwart of the Madden's Naas operation, contests the first split of the ten furlong Meath Handicap.
Tom's sister Sarah Ann said: "Tom just turned sixteen on Saturday and he's signed on to Dad. He'll be remaining in school too.
"He had a brilliant season pony racing including a big win on Jack Daniels in the Dingle Derby.
"He had a great year and certainly provided us with lots of entertainment."
