Nathan Crosse © Photo Healy Racing
I'm from Ballylooby, Co Tipperary and my dad was a jockey mainly in England and a little bit in America before moving home to Ireland. He was Head Lad to Tommy Stack for nine years and always pre-broke a couple of horses. My brother, Shane, was more interested in horses than I was. Shane wanted to start pony racing and I saw how much fun he was having with that and how much of a buzz he was getting off it. So, after a year of that, I started pony racing with a great pony that Billy and Jack Kennedy gave us called Pair Of Jack's. He actually got Jack going too. He used to get us off his back more times than we were on his back! He was a great pony to get us going. I also used to ride out in Tommy Stack's in the summer holidays and that.
I didn't do a whole pile of pony racing. In my spare time I went up to Willie McCreery's in Kildare and I learned more there because I started late. I didn't have the pony racing connections that everyone else had. I would have been going pony racing for very few rides. I learned a lot in Willie's riding work with Billy Lee. Willie and dad used to bounce off each other with jokes and Willie kindly took me in and gave me the chance to get plenty of experience. I used to come up and stay the weekend any time I could and then Easter holidays and any mid-term breaks we had. I got my fair share of rollickings, but sure we all learn from them! When I was young, it was something amazing to come up to Kildare with all the horses and open land. It still is amazing. I thought it was brilliant trotting the whole way across to the Curragh and going up the Old Vic upsides the likes of Billy. Billy would always help you whenever you wanted help. Willie always watches every horse in their work and he'd let me know if I did anything wrong. He would also let me know if I was doing things right too.
I had my first winner on Elm Grove in an apprentice handicap at Cork in April 2017. I couldn't believe it as it was my third ride. Everything didn't go to plan, but they went hard and she was a big, honest mare. She looked after me more than anything and she just kept galloping the whole way to the line. It was such a surreal feeling, and my parents and brother were there. After that, I always wanted to get that feeling of passing the line in front, pleasing the trainer and the owner. Riding out my claim on Three Comets at Thurles in October 2022 was brilliant. I couldn't believe it had finally happened - I had been knocking on the door to ride out my claim and it was something that was kind of frustrating me a little bit because I always wanted to do it. I didn't have as much experience as everyone else coming into racing, so it took a bit of time. When it finally happened, I was delighted because all my friends around me had ridden out their claims. That winner was for Luke Comer and Mr Comer has been brilliant to me. Any time I can ride his horses, I do, and he's very good to put me up. He has plenty of horses and plenty of chances.
Not long after riding out my claim, I had my first Listed success on Self Belief in the Trigo Stakes at Leopardstown. Very brave move from Willie, obviously. I knew the horse from riding him out and riding work on him at home. Everything went smoothly and I was absolutely delighted. Everyone knows my brother Shane had an astounding career. What he did at such a young age inspired any young jockey. I would have loved to have been on that level and, when I finally got a Listed winner, Shane was delighted for me. Shane is still working for Joseph O'Brien, he is just back from a three-week stint in Saratoga. He went over there with two of Joseph's horses and he does those trips when he can, he enjoys them. I ride a bit of work for Joseph whenever I can. He is very good to put me up when the other lads aren't around.
I had a double in the United Arab Emirates in 2020. I had my first ride in Meydan and on my second ride out there at Sharjah I won, and then on my third ride I won what I think was the biggest handicap at the start of the year on Galvanize (in Sheikh Hamdan Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Cup) who was a spare ride for Doug Watson. Everyone loved the horse and thankfully Pat Dobbs picked the wrong one! Going out there arose from Damien Gleeson who gave me a phone call asking if I would like to go out. He is very good friends with (jockey) Tadhg O'Shea. I had a think about it and I jumped at it. I went out and got settled in and really enjoyed it. I got to ride on some brilliant tracks and got to ride a winner at Meydan which was my main goal when I was out there. I managed to get two winners at Meydan. Out in Dubai, it is very 'jump and go', get your position and you keep going. It is not like Ireland where you jump and you can take back and go again. You are out and gone in Dubai and you keep going, and generally the best horse wins.
Nathan rode his first winner, Elm Grove, at Cork in 2017© Photo Healy Racing
I had another Listed winner on Maud Gonne Spirit at Listowel last year and the two Listed winners and the double in the United Arab Emirates are among my best days. The Trigo Stakes was a great day because it meant a lot to me personally. Then riding the double in Sharjah was brilliant. Getting a winner (Maud Gonne Spirit) for Mrs Harrington is always great, she is great for supporting me. She was such a big price (80/1) and a terrific mare, and she tried so hard. Mrs Harrington has got an astounding yard and her daughters Kate and Emma play a big part. It is amazing to be riding work with Shane Foley and Scott McCullagh. We all help each other out and there's a great team of horses there. Whenever Shane can't ride, or Scott is not around, it is great to get the call-up. They share out the rides as best they can.
What drives me when I get up in the morning is trying to do better. Ireland is very competitive at the moment and it is very hard to get on a good horse When Colin Keane, Chris Hayes, Billy Lee, Shane Foley and all the top jockeys are available, they are going to get on them. You are just hoping one day that you are going to get on a nice one and things will fall into place. You never know what is around the corner or what is going to happen. I will keep the head down and keep kicking, and maybe one day it will happen. Jessica is great to put me up on her class of horses and maybe one day Shane might pick the wrong one!
Nathan was in conversation with Michael Graham.
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