Burke makes the break to the paid ranks
Ted Walsh most certainly knows a thing or two about what constitutes a good jockey.
He was a respected amateur in his day and has sired disputably the best pilot of this generation, so when he tells you to turn professional, you stand up and take heed. And that is indeed what Johnny Burke has done.
The 18-year-old from East Cork has been making a name for himself in amateur circles in recent months and this week he has made the break to the paid ranks.
The youngster is certainly making a favorable impression with the shrewdest of judges. He rides out for Willie Mullins a few mornings a week and also rides work for Noel Meade. He spends the rest of his time working for his father Liam; the well-known point-to-point handler.
It was somewhat inevitable that the teenager was going to toil within the equine sphere as he has grown up surrounded by horses and as he admits “they are the only thing I know”. Indeed he has been riding out for Willie Mullins since he was 11!
It was Mullins who provided him with his most high profile victory as an amateur when Very Much So landed the valuable Goff’s Land Rover Bumper in Punchestown last month.
“It was a big day for me, a bit surreal really. I’m very grateful to Willie for having given me the ride. Patrick Mullins took a ride for Nicky Henderson in the same race because they didn’t think Very Much So was ready but luckily for me, he was!”
It was after this race that Ted Walsh informed the nation on RTE - in his usual candid manner - that Jonathan was “a cracking young rider” and he didn’t know if he had any aspirations to turn pro but he was “without doubt good enough”. Enough said; the seed had been sown.
The fact he has no problems with his weight was another incentive to lose the amateur tag.
Burke says he has no trouble claiming off bottom weight. “I’m around 9 stone 5, funnily enough, I’m lighter now then I was a few years ago. All the riding keeps me very fit.”
The jockey is well aware of the cut-throat nature of the game.
“It’s tight. There are so many jockeys and everybody wants the same thing – to ride as many winners as possible.”
The importance of building up a strong network of contacts is acknowledged. The teen has built up an expanding set of connections from his amateur days.
Liz Doyle, Pat Flynn and a number of local trainers near his East Cork base are just some of the handlers mentioned while fellow rebel jockeys Davy Russell, Paul Townend and Davy Condon are name-checked as being an invaluable help.
“I grew up with Davy Russell as he started off working for my dad and he has been very good to me. Davy Condon’s house is right next door to me and Paul Townend is just down the road. Paul (who is second jockey at Willie Mullins’s) is good enough to let me stay with him when I ride out for Willie.”
The teenager says his aim for the time being is to get as much experience as possible and to keep improving his riding.
“At the back of my head, I would love to win the conditional jockeys title. I’d like to think I would be contesting that come Punchestown next April. It’s good to have something to focus on.”
No doubt that if he stays sound, he will most certainly be in the shake-up.
