Image © Healy Racing
Name: Adam Malone
Age: 18
From: Coolcotts, Wexford
How did you first get involved with horses?
I started off at the local riding school in Duncormick with Martina Doran when I was about eight or nine. I spent the summer there learning the basics.
There was no background in horses in my family. I just loved being outdoors and being around animals. I started watching videos of horses and decided I’d love to try riding. I fell off the first pony I rode, but I loved it and I haven’t looked back since.
How did you get started with racehorses?
A teacher in Selskar College, David Shore, got me going with the racehorses. He got me my first job and sent me up to Jim Bolger’s, where I spent a summer when I was 16. I got bitten by the bug then.
David was very good to me and really helped me get started.
Where do you work now?
I’m full-time with Mark Scallan and John Walsh. I’m with Mark six days a week and I go to John’s in the afternoons. I try to get as much schooling as I can as well.
I started off with Mark one day a week and he asked me to come in full-time. John uses Mark’s facilities, so he asked me to ride a few for him too. Both of them have been very good to me and I’ve got plenty of rides from them.
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How did your association with Elusive Gale begin?
He gave me my first ride at Ballycrystal last December. John put me up and Sean Connick, who owned him at the time, was good enough to let me have the ride. It was a wet, rotten day and I pulled up.
Sean put him up for sale afterwards and I bought him around February/March time. I thought he would give me a few rides, and John told me he had given plenty of lads their first winner and would get me mine. I was delighted to be able to buy him.
He runs in Aisling Lacey’s colours, but you own him yourself?
I do. Aisling works with us and I hadn’t registered colours, so I put him under her name.
Were you expecting him to run well at Knockmullen House?
I thought he would have a good chance if things went his way. There were only three runners and I decided I’d go out in front and set my own pace. We went nice and steady
He’s a horse who won’t do any more than he has to in front, but when the others came alongside him he got going again.
Did you know you had won in the close finish?
I thought my nose was in front, but I wasn’t 100 per cent sure. I was holding my breath until the result was called, so I was delighted when it went our way.
What did it mean to ride your first winner on your own horse?
You only get your first winner once, so it was brilliant. John and the lads have been very good to me, and I was delighted to get the winner for John as well.
Were your family there to see it?
Mum and Dad, Donna and David, were there. They’ve supported me all over the country and have done an awful lot for me. There are plenty of bad days in racing and they’re always there to help.
What’s the plan for Elusive Gale now?
He could go for a winners’ race or an open, and he might be for sale, so we’ll see. He seems to have come out of the race sound and there are plenty of options for him. I’ve learned plenty from him and he could teach someone else along the way too.
When did you decide you wanted to take out your licence?
It was something I wanted to do from the time I first sat on a racehorse. I was eager to get going, so as soon as I had the opportunity to apply, I did.
Who do you turn to for advice?
Luke Murphy comes in to us and is very good to me, especially when we’re schooling. Mark is a great help too, and Barry Stone rides out for John. You’re always learning from the lads around you.
Derek O’Connor was also very good to me when I was starting off. I rang him before my first ride because I wasn’t too confident, and he was always there if you needed to ask about a track.
Have you any interests outside racing?
I play football with St Joseph’s and I’ve played hurling as well. I was actually meant to be playing an under-21 football match on Sunday, but I missed it to ride at Knockmullen House.
What are your ambitions for the rest of the season?
I’ll keep my head down, try to get as many rides as I can and hopefully get a few more winners on the board. I’d love to ride as a conditional at some stage, but I’m fairly tall, so I’ll see how the weight goes. For now, I’m happy to keep going as an amateur.
Is there anyone you would like to thank?
My parents, David and Donna, have done an awful lot for me and have supported me all the way. I’d also like to thank Mark Scallan and John Walsh, who have both been very good to me and given me plenty of opportunities.
David Shore is probably the main man who got me started with the racehorses, so I’d especially like to thank him too.
David Shore is probably the main man who got me started with the racehorses, so I’d especially like to thank him too.
As a bonus for talented new point-to-point riders who feature in p2p.ie series of NextGen articles, Dungar Quality Oats will sponsor a special draw where one of the riders will win a cash prize of €500. All NextGen featured jockeys who have ridden their first point-to-point winner will be automatically entered into this draw. The draw will be conducted and prize winner announced at the end of the point-to-point season.
