Riding career on upward curve
HIS IRISH Grand National triumph is the latest milestone in the riding career of J.J. Slevin, a career that has been on an upward curve since he turned professional in August, 2016, and has also included a Cheltenham Festival winner in 2017 and his first Grade 1 winner in February this year.
He is son of Shay and Elizabeth, and though just 25 years old, he has already built up a wealth of experience. There were always horses around the home place at Kiltrea, Caim, when he was growing up and his dad was prominent on the point-to-point scene.
Mother, Elizabeth, is sister to the Ballydoyle maestro, Aidan O’Brien, whose son, former champion flat jockey and now top trainer, Joseph, is first cousin to J.J. Tom O’Brien, the successful jumps jockey in Britain, is another first cousin, being son of Jim, brother to Elizabeth and Aidan.
When J.J. came of age he rode many of his father’s horses in points meetings around the country, collecting 34 winners. His first big milestone was at the Island Hunt meeting at Ballydarragh, Craanford, on November 14, 2010, when he had his first winner on Herecomestherain, trained by his dad. When he moved on, his brother, Mark, took over on point-to-point duty.
One of the reasons Shay kept horses was for his two sons to be involved in all aspects with them. Nowadays, he mostly buys and prepares horses for sale as the two boys have their own careers; J.J. is a full-time professional and Mark has given up race riding as he is a busy vet with Austin Fanning in Gorey, though they do both give a helping hand at home when they can.
J.J. graduated to the track as an amateur and his first winner on the racecourse proper came on the John Clifford-trained Chapel Garden in the Curaheen INH Flat Race at Thurles on December 22, 2013.
He spent a season gaining valuable experience riding as an amateur for top British trainer, Nigel Twiston-Davies, where he had a couple of winners, and then decided to pursue his career back at home.
He rode eleven winners as an amateur, including a notable success on the Richie Rath-trained Moylisha Tim in a Grade 3 novice hurdle at Cork in November, 2015.
He took the plunge and went professional in August, 2016, and had fairly immediate success. He made his pro debut at Bellewstown on Seán Thomas Doyle’s Crosshue Boy, and within a couple of weeks had his first winners for the Ballindaggin man.
He was involved in a dead-heat for first with Craig Star (7/2) in a handicap hurdle at Roscommon on August 29, sharing it with Lasocar and David Mullins, and this was technically his first winner as a pro.
He had his first outright winner at Kilbeggan four days later when outstaying the field on Doyle’s Crosshue Boy (6/1) in a handicap hurdle for owner Niall Heffernan from Blackwater.
It has been onwards and upwards since then, recording 20 winners in his first season, the undoubted highlight being a surprise first Cheltenham Festival success in the Martin Pipe conditional jockeys’ race on Champagne Classic for Gordon Elliott and Gigginstown.
He passed another landmark when he rode his first Grade 1 winner when taking the Nathaniel Lacy & Partners Solicitors Novice Hurdle on the Joseph O’Brien-trained Tower Bridge on the opening day of the inaugural Dublin Racing Festival at Leopardstown on Saturday, February 3, his very first ride in a top graded race.
He had six rides at the Cheltenham Festival this year, five of them for Joseph O’Brien, and acquitted himself well in ultra-competitive fields, a third place being his top finish.
His Grand National victory was J.J’s 32nd winner of the season which will conclude at the end of the month, which puts him at eleventh place in the jockeys’ championship. He has also had four winners in Britain, where he takes some rides for north of Ireland trainer, Stuart Crawford.
J.J. will be hoping to end the season on another high note at the Punchestown Festival which will feature plenty of prize money and prestigious races.
After his Grand National and Grade 1 successes, lots of the top trainers are sure to be taking note of the rising star from Caim and he should be kept very busy.