O’Neill earning her place as vital cog within Team Elliott
Ex-rider seeking a big week for stable
AS is custom, Gordon Elliott recently invited the Irish racing media to Cullentra House to go through his Cheltenham Festival runners — with a noticeable twist.
Elliott usually holds court alone in his office but on this occasion Lisa O’Neill was on hand, as a sounding board.
More than once, Elliott checked with O’Neill about a horse, or a specific race.
O’Neill’s presence reflected her elevated status within the Cullentra operation ranks since retiring.
While continuing as a work rider, O’Neill has evolved as a key member of a mostly male team, bringing knowledge, experience and composure to the table.
‘I’m a small cog in a big wheel. I don’t know if I’ve a title,’ she smiled while confirming she works ‘full-time’ with Elliott, whom she holds in high regard.
‘He’s got a massive passion for the game and the industry. From the time he hung up his boots, this is what he’s always dreamed about, chasing a dream and he’s succeeding at that.’
O’Neill has been part of the setup at Cullentra for over a decade, initially as a claiming amateur rider whom Elliott turned to regularly.
While Nina Carberry and Katie Walsh were the trail-blazers for the elite women amateurs, O’Neill was up there with them, with 142 rides in 2018-19 season and over a hundred career winners.
The stand out moment came on board Tiger Roll in the National Hunt Chase on a memorable first day of the 2017 Festival for Elliott who also saddled Labaik to win the Supreme Novices Chase and Apple’s Jade in the Mares’ Hurdle.
‘That was definitely the highlight of my career. It was my first ride at the Cheltenham Festival,’ she recalled.
‘I was excited to be there, be a part of it, and never dreamed of winning it. I’d the ambition of getting around, not to fall off.
‘It still gives me a shiver thinking of it.’ How did the ride come about? ‘Lucky enough, Jamie Codd had a choice of a couple of Gigginstown runners and I ended up on Tiger Roll for Gordon. I think he was double figure prices.
‘He had gone off the boil as he had done the previous season and came in under the radar that day. But when he was on song, he was really on song.’
It helped that O’Neill knew Tiger as well as anyone.
‘I was one of the first to throw a leg over him when he was bought in the sales from Nigel Hawke in Cheltenham.
‘He barely put his two hind legs on the ground that day, he put them up in the air plenty,’ she recalled.
‘That’s Tiger Roll, he was a boisterous character.
‘I was here for the whole journey. It was great to be a small part of his big life.’
O’Neill retired from riding in June 2022, not long after Tiger was carried out on his shield in the Cross-County Chase at Cheltenham. She felt it was the right time to go.
‘I was getting a bit older. I’d lost my claim and rides were getting quiet,’ she said.
‘I was content with my decision although you’d miss the good days.’
O’Neill is kept busy on Cullentra and is also in demand with RTÉ around big race meetings, including Cheltenham. ‘I got a call one day. It was unexpected. I did a think about it and thought: “If I don’t try it, I’ll never know.”
‘It not something I thought I’d ever end up doing. I’m very privileged to go to racing and be able to talk about the sport I love and am very passionate about.’
Whatever her TV commitments, O’Neill’s priority is to ensure all is hunky-dory with Elliott’s massive team — she went over with the horses on Sunday — and will ride out each morning.
Ahead of battle, what would be a good week for Team Elliott?
‘It’s hard to put a number on it,’ she said. ‘It’s the biggest week of the year. It’s always nice to get one off on Tuesday and kick start the week.
‘Things run smoother then.’
With O’Neill helping to oil the Elliott wheel over the next four days, you suspect things will run off without any major
hitches.
‘I was excited to be there... and never dreamed of winning it’