Younger jockey Kevin Healy’s first race win is available in uncommon circumstances

Seventeen-year-old schoolboy Kevin Healy ensured his first winner below Guidelines could be a day he would always remember when cruising to a 15-length victory on Wrecking Ball Paul over two miles at Dundalk racecourse for coach Paul Mulligan.

The Pony Membership eventer and showjumper, who competed within the working hunter at Dublin Horse Present final 12 months, confirmed some enterprising ingenuity, taking the race by the scruff of the neck and stealing a substantial lead on his 13 rivals – certainly one of whom refused to race. Kevin and the brilliantly named gelding, an 18/1 shot, cruised house unchallenged to win the newbie handicap on Friday night (1 March).

Watch the race on Racing TV

Kevin Healy’s 12 rivals, who had clearly left themselves an excessive amount of to do to attempt to catch the winner, confronted the wrath of the stewards, incomes a swathe of five-day suspensions. However the rising star of the weighing room described the facile strategy to get off the mark in simply his third run below Guidelines as “good”.

“I knew he’d go shut however I wasn’t anticipating that,” {the teenager}, who gained the junior Irish Pony Membership hunter trial championships in 2022 on Kilbunny Kabana, advised H&H. “Paul didn’t give me any directions – he simply mentioned by no means have him going flat out, and don’t battle with him an excessive amount of.

“However on the five-furlong level I appeared spherical and I noticed I had an enormous hole and at that time I knew I had the race gained as a result of I had a great deal of horse left below me – he simply likes to carry on galloping. In order that was an effective way to get my first winner, it’s positively one to recollect!”

Kevin Healy: “It was a great way to do it!”

Coach Paul Mulligan is buddies with the jockey’s father and Kevin was delighted to get the call-up on the six-year-old Wrecking Ball Paul, a winner on the monitor final month over a mile shorter race.

“There’s been an excellent response from our household and buddies,” mentioned Kevin, who will probably be ending faculty this summer time. “The plan then is to attempt to make a residing out of race driving, I’d like to make it work.”

“I grew up round horses from either side of the household,” he mentioned. “My granddad on my mum’s aspect taught me methods to trip, then my grandad on my dad’s aspect at all times had racehorses. I received my first pony after I was three and did a variety of searching and Pony Membership, then a variety of eventing and showjumping too. I went to Dublin this 12 months to do the working hunter.

“It was a fantastic grounding, it actually stood for me now,” he added. “Hopefully I’ll have a number of rides developing quickly. I’m getting my point-to-point licence, doing the course this Wednesday, however I’ll stick out faculty first.

“It was a great way to do it!”

You may additionally get pleasure from…

Horse & Hound journal, out each Thursday, is full of all the newest information and stories, in addition to interviews, specials, nostalgia, vet and coaching recommendation. Discover how one can get pleasure from the journal delivered to your door each week, plus choices to improve your subscription to entry our on-line service that brings you breaking information and stories in addition to different advantages.

H&H showjumping editor

Jennifer is passionate at showjumping and her position as H&H’s showjumping editor has taken her all over the world reporting from reveals and interviewing riders, connections and people concerned behind the scenes. Since becoming a member of H&H from BBC Sport in 2005, she has written on each topic throughout the equestrian sphere — from turnout rugs to secure administration — and has interviewed gold medallists, world champions and winners galore. She additionally has first-hand expertise of working within the equestrian business as a driving teacher and yard supervisor.