Hayes chasing sweet life

PJ Hayes thought nothing of it at the time. Kids haven’t a clue what their future holds when they’re six and so, when his son said he wanted to be a jockey, PJ smiled and thought nothing more of it.

While they had a pony at home, Chris was only being led around the paddock, or up and down the avenue. While he obviously enjoyed it, there had been no real indication that he was going to become one of the country’s top pilots. Or had any inclination to be. Next week, he’d probably want to be a fireman.

Except that’s not how it materialised. Something stirred in Chris on his first visit to the famed Dingle Pony Races and it was on the trip home that he enlightened his father as to his ambition. It hasn’t wavered since.