Sheehy rides first winner since losing claim

Mikey Sheehy partnered his first winner as a full professional jockey today, steering a 96th win on 20/1 chance Pretty Smart in Laytown's opening Tote Always SP Or Better At Laytown Handicap.

Sheehy finished his claim with a big-race win, on the Joseph O'Brien trained Federal in the Cambridgeshire on August 27, and today notched a first Laytown success, making all on Pretty Smart.

It was the six year old's seventh success and her trainer Pat Martin reported “she can be difficult leaving the parade ring and the last day in Naas, we had to get behind her like stalls handlers to get her to go out!

“We purposely didn't ride her out onto the beach, we walked her out and she seemed to love it. I was pretty pleased with her whole attitude towards everything and she went straight out.

"She's a sprinter, likes to go forward and we kept it simple.”

"I have this ongoing battle every year that the horses run at Laytown off our grass marks, as opposed to our all-weather marks. Her all-weather mark is 63 but is running off 70, although on the other side if she was running off 63 she wouldn't have got into the race. It is swings and roundabouts.”

He added “it's great for Mikey (Sheehy) and I'm sure he will do very well but to get that first one after losing the claim is important as it can be a mental thing.”

“These colours mean a lot to me - they were my father-in-law's colours and my wife has taken them over.”

Quotes from Michael Graham