Niall Prendergast is our latest rider to feature in our next generation section. From Co. Tipperary, twenty one-year-old Niall was in the winner’s enclosure at Oldtown on Sunday aboard Calderone in the older maiden.
This is Niall’s first season to ride in point-to-points and he has had seven rides to date.
Name: Niall Prendergast
Age: 21
Area: Killenaule
How did you become involved in racing?
I was lucky to have grown up around horses as my dad Denis trains point-to-pointers. From a young age I began riding and really enjoyed it. I hunted with the Premier Harriers and Tipperary Foxhounds and when I was 16 I went to RACE.
I spent a year with Johnny Murtagh and really enjoyed it. I came back home and finished school and when I had my leaving cert done I went to Paul Nolans for a year. After Paul I went to Colm Murphys and took out a conditional licence. When Colm stopped training I started working for Shark and have been with him since then. I ride out with Shark every morning and then I help a few other yards around about in the afternoons.
What's your favourite course?
Oldtown is definitely my favourite point-to-point course so far as I rode my first winner there and I would have to say Leopardstown is my favourite race track.
Give us a horse to watch out for?
Shark has a nice bunch of horses for the season. One in particular would be a four-year-old gelding by Arakan.
What was the best day of your racing life?
It is definitely riding my first winner at Oldtown aboard Calderone on Sunday. I ride him out every day and have schooled him every time since he arrived in the yard.
Who’s your biggest influence?
Kevin Power and Shane Hasset have been a great help to me as well as Johnny Murtagh who has given me loads of advice since I started riding.
What is your one of your favourite racing memory?
When I was about 14 my dad trained Grade One winner, Gods Own to finish second at Athlacca in a four-year-old maiden.
What improvements would you like to see to in point-to-points?
I think there is a good programme for novice riders in point-to-points as most weekends this spring have a novice rider race on.
Ambitions for this season?
I would like to try and get as many rides as possible throughout the season and get a few more winners before the end of the season.
To read about some of our other featured riders this season click on the link below.
It was a red letter day for 21yo Niall Prendergast who rode his first winner aboard Calderone at Oldtown on Sunday. The Killenaule native is the latest rider in our NEXTGEN Q&A feature. READ IT HERE:https://t.co/pAsWdwLV7B pic.twitter.com/06ED0cWMby
— p2p.ie (@irishp2p) February 13, 2018
