Young Irish jockey enjoys biggest success of his career after winning €612,000 race
Young Irish jockey Sean Kirrane enjoyed the biggest success of his career to date when winning the Group 1 Coolmore Wootton Bassett Nunthorpe Stakes on Live In The Dream at York on Friday.
The 23-year-old Dubliner sent the 28/1 shot, who was available at much bigger prices earlier in the day, straight to the front as the gates opened for the five-furlong contest and he kept going right until the end to win by a length, with 7/5 favourite Highfield Princess finishing second under Jason Hart ahead of Royal Ascot winner Bradsell back in third under Hollie Doyle.
The success provided Epsom trainer Adam West with a breakthrough big-race victory and there were joyous scenes in the parade ring afterwards as owners Steve and Jolene De'Lemos celebrated with their family.
Kirrane, who grew up in Mount Merrion, rode his first winner on the Johnny Levins-trained Bainne in an apprentice handicap at the Curragh in 2017 in what was just his sixth ride on the racecourse. He was still in school at the time, having attended Blackrock College.
After winning the €612,000 Nunthorpe, for which the winning connections received around €353,000, the jockey told ITV's Oli Bell: "I can say to you with an absolute degree of certainty that it hasn't sunk in yet at all. It still feels like winning another race, but going by that line was some feeling in front of some serious horses.
"To give this lad an opportunity to show that he's a real top level sprinter and I have to say a massive thanks to the owners for maintaining the faith in myself mainly, but also Adam West, leaving this horse with him and having me on today. To keep the partnership intact, they must get a lot of credit."
Asked when he thought he had the race won, Kirrane responded by saying: "When I was approaching the furlong pole and I hadn't gone for my whip yet and I could hear the cracks of sticks behind me and nothing had really got to me yet.
"In the corner of my eye the near side group were starting to fall away and I thought if this horse sticks on, I'm in with a good shout of being placed. I felt like 50 yards out nothing was going to come to me. He loves the ground, he was maintaining that speed the whole way and I just felt (like he was going to win)."
Trainer West commented: “I can’t believe it. This is amazing, everything happens for a reason. We didn’t get good luck at Deauville. We swerved America to come here and it looks like he’s going out there now with the ticket.
“This is a horse we’ve had so much fun with and so much faith in. He’s been with us since a yearling, what a journey. I never thought it was possible to win it.
“We were just so happy for six places, we were laughing and joking about the place betting and how skinny it was. I had nothing on! Money doesn't matter, that is amazing, I’ve had a Group 1 winner.”
He added: “I never thought it was possible to win. We were laughing about there being six places and how his odds were so skinny. We should have backed him to win!
“I’ve had a Group One winner, it’s amazing. I think we’ll go to the Breeders’ Cup as I think he’s 10lb better on a turning track. That’s a big statement, but I do. He can get a breather round a bend whereas on these straight courses he usually can’t, but he just nicked enough today.
“We were going to take him for a race at Del Mar but we costed it, we’re not a big yard and it was too expensive to go.”
Ladbrokes reacted to Live In The Dream's win by cutting his odds for the Prix de l’Abbaye at Longchamp from 16/1 to 8/1, while a trip to Santa Anita for the Breeder's Cup Turf Sprint is also on the cards for the four-year-old, with the Nunthorpe being a ‘win and you’re in’ race.
Nicola McGeady from the firm also reported that Scampi and Yashin have been popular with punters ahead of the Ebor on Saturday, with Sweet William very solid at the top of the market.
She said: “The Ebor is always a cracking betting event, and tomorrow’s race continues that trend with Sweet William the solid favourite. However, there are plenty of bigger-priced runners attracting attention, including Yashin and Scampi.”
