Image © Healy Racing
Eoin Staples did not have to wait to register his first winner within the paid ranks, as he was among the winners at Roscommon on Monday evening.
The Wexford rider only had his first ride as a conditional jockey at Tipperary six days earlier, with victory coming just five rides later when he teamed up with the Gavin Cromwell-trained Ahead Of The Posse in the Knockcroghery Claiming Hurdle.
Gavin Cromwell’s eight-year-old ran out a two and a quarter length winner over War Correspondent, a horse that was also ridden by another newly turned conditional from the point-to-point fields in Paddy Cody.
Ahead Of The Posse wins the Knockcroghery Claiming Hurdle at Roscommon in for Eoin Staples and trainer Gavin Cromwell %uD83D%uDC4F@RoscommonRaces pic.twitter.com/faWctjsRbJ
— Horse Racing Ireland (@HRIRacing) July 7, 2025
Twenty-two-year-old Staples ended last season with a personal best campaign between the flags, riding seven winners, including four in the JP McManus silks aboard Edward O’Grady’s open campaigner Priory Park.
That contributed to the Duncormick native sharing the INHSC novice rider series with Pandora Briselden before he decided to switch inside the rails.
“It’s brilliant, I am not in Gavin’s long and has shown me plenty of support - a big thanks to him,” Staples said.
“The horse jumped fantastically; he kind of idled all the way down to the last, but when the horse came to him, he picked up and went on again and did it well. In fairness to him, he put his head down and galloped all the way to the line.
“Gavin’s is filled with plenty of good horses and plenty of good riders, and they are all very good up there, so it’s a brilliant place to work. Hopefully, I can get plenty of rides and get the ball rolling.
“I’m from more of a point-to-point background in Wexford, there are a lot of point-to-point handlers down there and I’ve probably worked for them all.
“I have been with Gavin for three weeks now. I have been working for Colin Bowe for the past three years, and I decided this year that I was going to turn professional. Gavin and Colin would be good friends, and Colin gave Gavin a ring, and he was happy enough to take me on, so it is brilliant that it worked out that way.”
Ladies day is underway with our first winner of the evening 'Ahead Of The Posse' who gives jockey Eoin Staples hes first win in the Knockcroghery Claiming Hurdle for trainer Gavin Cromwell.
— Roscommon Racecourse (@RoscommonRaces) July 7, 2025
%uD83D%uDCF8 - Healy Racing#HorseRacing #EveryRacingMoment #Racing pic.twitter.com/Wohg4PiMZj
