Heffernan registers first winner as a freelance rider Derby-winning jockey Seamie Heffernan this evening rode his first winner as a confirmed fully-fledged professional freelance rider, steering Alphonse Le Grande (5/2) to win Dundalk's concluding Happy Easter From Dundalk Stadium Handicap. Heffernan, whose career began in 1988, recently confirmed his split with Aidan O'Brien's Ballydoyle — a yard where he had ridden as second-choice jockey since 1996. Today the 51-year-old got off the mark for the new season when steering Alphonse Le Grande to a 3.75 lengths win from Chopsticks. The Tony Martin-trained winner had been backed from 11/2 this morning and was returned the 5/2 favourite, with the handler briefly saying “Seamie still enjoys winning which is great - don't we all? "Things went really right and it couldn't have gone better." Quotes from Michael Graham
