Joseph O’Brien reaffirms training plans for next year
The dual Irish champion jockey does not yet have an official training licence for runners under Rules, but he did saddle his first point-to-point winner at the start of November. He was also credited by his father, Aidan, for preparing Ivanovich Gorbatov ahead of his impressive hurdling debut at Leopardstown on Sunday.
Joseph O’Brien said: “I probably won’t be riding a whole lot – maybe the odd heavyweight – but we’ll cross that bridge when we come to it. I have to do the trainers’ course in March or April, or whenever it comes up, and from there then I’ll have my trainer’s licence.
“I was so lucky to get to ride some of the great horses that I got to ride and I always knew that’d I’d never be able to ride forever. I didn’t eat much and was always sweating but jockeys the world over do that and I wasn’t any different to them, really.”
On Ivanovich Gorbatov, O’Brien said: “He is a very nice horse who had schooled nicely at home before Leopardstown and had some good form on the Flat, being rated 106. We were a little bit worried about the ground he jumped very well and he seemed to cope with it quite well – he’s got gears.”
