Lyons and Keane horses proving popular in early Curragh markets

The once-raced Aga Khan owned gelding Sharinay provided Michael Halford and Tracey Collins with a first winner of the new season when staying on best to land the opening Welcome To Cork Racecourse Mallow Maiden.

Having both been part of a pulsating three-way finish at Aintree little over a fortnight ago, Impaire Et Passe and Langer Dan are poised to renew rivalry in the bet365 Select Hurdle at Sandown on Saturday.

I'm from a place called Eadestown, just outside Naas, beside Punchestown racecourse. I had a pony when I was younger at home and I was kind of mad for a bit of speed! I got into Michael Halford's when I was 12 or 13. I rode out there on my school holidays and weekends for five years before I left school. There were some brilliant lads in Michael Halford's at the time like Sean Corby, who rode as an apprentice for a while, Shane Foley was stable jockey and Conor Hoban was apprentice there. You can see from Michael Halford's track record, he had some brilliant apprentices over the years including Gary Carroll. It was a great place to learn and I learned plenty. I was still very weak and green and I wasn't quite sure whether I was going to be good enough to be a jockey but, in fairness, it was the route for me. I had a crack at college in Carlow, but I didn't enjoy that - I only lasted about three weeks! I missed the horses a lot.