Irish connection for Allen

RACING is often an individual sport, but jockey John Allen will be riding for Ireland in Saturday’s Cox Plate.

Born in Ireland, Allen will ride the Irish-bred State Of Rest for Irish trainer Joseph O’Brien while the jockey’s parents watch on from his homeland on Saturday.

Allen has ridden permanently in Australia for a decade but said his parents still kept close tabs on his deeds from the other side of the world.

“My parents record the racing from here every night and get up to watch it in the morning,” Allen said.

“Depending on the times, if it’s a big race, they’ll certainly get up and watch it live.

“It will give them a bit more to talk about if I can win such a big race on an Irish horse.”

Allen is closing in on 900 wins in Australia in a tally that includes 12 Group 1 wins.

He believes one of those wins, a Hotham Stakes victory on the O’Brien-trained Downdraft in 2019, played a part in the dual Melbourne Cup-winning trainer booking him to ride State Of Rest.

Or it could be an old association back in Ireland where Allen first met the son of champion Irish trainer Aidan O’Brien.

“I actually worked for his grandfather Joe Crowley for a few years,” Allen said.

“Joseph was pretty young when I was riding there but I know his aunt well and worked for his grandfather for four or five years. I usually rode for him over jumps.”

State Of Rest is an $11 chance with TAB after his last-start win in the US on August 7.

“It was probably his best performance in America,” Allen said.

“He really went to the next level there so he’s on an upward curve.”