Carberry to take up assistant role with Meade

Noel Meade has described Nina Carberry as a “valuable cog in the wheel” after appointing Ireland’s leading female jockey as his racing assistant.

Sister to Meade’s long-time stable jockey Paul Carberry, Nina herself has been riding for the Tu Va handler as an amateur for over a decade.

Carberry took out a licence to train in her own right earlier in the year, but for the time being at least will focus on riding and her new role with Meade.

“Nina will become my racing assistant and I think she’ll be a very good addition to what is already a very good team,” said the trainer.

“There’s my headman Paul Cullen and my assistant trainer Damien McGillick. We also have a couple of very good travelling head lasses and I think Nina will be another valuable cog in the wheel.

“She’s been riding out for me three days a week for the last 10 years and she’s always got on well with all the lads and her brother is our number one jockey, so it’s a good fit.

“She’s a likeable person and I think she’ll be good at talking with owners and everything else. It will also be good for her to get a bit more of an idea of what’s involved in the training side of things.

“It’s a good move for everyone and I’m very much looking forward to it. She’ll be starting on September 1.

A broken collarbone, the result of a fall at Gowran Park on June 23, has kept Nina sidelined but she expects to resume in about two weeks.

She added: “I’ve had a good working relationship with Noel for about ten years and I’m really looking forward to taking up the new position.”