Father of all battles for young Egan
DAVID EGAN describes his father John as the biggest influence on his career but has learned not to expect any paternal favours.
The teenager may be the most promising young rider to emerge this summer and be in pole position to be Stobart Champion Apprentice jockey. But there is an equally close battle to end the season as top jockey in the Newmarket home he shares with his dad.
Egan, 18, leads Kieren Shoemark by five wins in the apprentice title race but father and son are locked on 50 wins apiece.
John, 49, whose biggest wins were in the 2006 Group One Golden Jubilee Stakes and July Cup on Les Arcs, is generous in giving advice but admits to an element of tough love on occasion as a father-and-son competitive streak kicks in. John said: ‘I beat him by a neck the other day and it was bloody great! I also know I left David short of room one day in a race at Chelmsford.
‘Afterwards one of the jockeys came in and said “Jesus John, I can’t believe you did that”. But I said he had to learn. Out there it’s competitive and if you’re not competitive you lose.’
David said: ‘Riding with your father is actually more competitive. If I see him half-a-length ahead I’ll strive to get by him and he’d be the same. Early in the season we used to keep scores of who finished in front of each other. It would be 2-0 or 2-2 but now we’re riding together so much we’ve lost count.
‘I’m sure he’ll be ahead but I won’t be far behind.’
David is not short of influences. Mum Sandra Hughes won the 2015 Irish National with Thunder And Roses when she was training and his uncle Richard was three-time champion jockey in Britain before he started training.
David’s first experience of riding racehorses was for his late grandfather Dessie Hughes, hugely successful as a jump jockey and then a trainer when 2004 and 2005 Champion Hurdler Hardy Eustace was arguably his best horse. David, born in Britain before moving back to Ireland, recalled: ‘After Hardy Eustace retired he used to lead the young horses in the indoor ring. When I was really young I rode him a couple of times.
‘When granddad won the Triumph Hurdle with Our Conor [2013 Cheltenham Festival] it was a great day. I was at school and asked to go to the toilet. I watched the race on my phone in there. They could hear me shouting and wondered what was going on.’
What has been going on is a story of spreading recognition for Egan Jnr.
He is based with Newmarket trainer Roger Varian but an impressive list of trainers who have used him include David Elsworth, John Gosden, Sir Michael Stoute and US-based Wesley Ward. David said: ‘I’m surprised at how well it has all gone. I came into the year wanting to keep slowly improving and get a few more rides after seven winners last year.’
His success is a spur to his father to keep on riding.
John said: ‘I’m very proud of him. He has a lot of ability but his workrate also really helps him. I can see each ride he has had getting better and he’s at a great place to learn with Roger.
‘We go through his races every night, where he has gone wrong and also right. There’s plenty of telling off but he takes it well. I’m riding better than I have for years because I go training with David. It gives me the drive to keep going.’