Foley switches focus to the training ranks After taking out his licence in July, Jack Foley is hoping to make an impact in the training ranks, nearly a year on from calling time on his riding career. Champion conditional in the 2021/22 season, the 26-year-old opted to step away from the saddle after partnering Presenting Max at Fairyhouse in late November of last year. Reflecting on that decision, he said: "The opportunities were drying up. I did get a lot of opportunities at the beginning of my career, and I enjoyed climbing up the ladder. There is not a lot I would change about it. "I needed to ride every one of the winners I rode to win the conditional title because Jordan Gainford and Shane Fitzgerald were hot on my heels all that season. "I rode a couple of big pot winners and I loved it. I got plenty of rides from different people and made plenty of contacts out of it. "I learned plenty and was riding for a lot of good trainers. "I stopped riding last November and I hummed and hawed for a while about going back, but I got involved in a couple of breeze-up horses and I loved watching them progress through. "I got a great feel for it and got the bug to go down the training route." Now working closely with established point-to-point handler Donnachadh Doyle, Foley has 10 two-year-olds in his care and runs Liberation Date in the Irish Stallion Farms Fillies Maiden at Dundalk this evening. "I only got my licence around the end of July and had my first runner in August," the Bagenalstown native added. "I'd love to make a good go of training. I enjoyed riding when I was at it, but I'm looking forward to getting stuck in at training now and we’ll see what happens. "Donnchadh has a second yard and that's where I’m based. I've got a good start into the whole thing. "I have 10 two-year-olds and Monbeg Park as well. Donnachadh is busy with yearlings and they are in the process of getting broken too. "We have plenty to look forward to next season and hopefully we'll have a few to run in Dundalk over the winter. "I'm 26 and I’ve only had around 10 runners. Monbeg Park was second in a Grade 3 and I had a filly (Girl Bear) who was third first time out at Galway. "It's going grand and I'm learning away. I get a great buzz out of racing and I'd have a different view to it from when I was riding." On Monbeg Park, he added: "I don't know what the plan is for him yet. "He ran a cracker in Punchestown when second and we probably ran him back too quick the last day in Wexford. "There is no solid plan for him. We'll probably freshen him up and aim for something at one of the bigger tracks."
