Sorcha Woods

Losing my ten-pounds claim has been an important milestone for me this year and I couldn’t have asked for any more in my first season with a licence on the track. I had ridden in point-to-points before that and rode a winner last year but to get my first winner on the Flat in my first year and now have three, is extremely satisfying.

I am from Naas and still live there, though I am apprenticed to Keith and Marshall Watson up in Armagh. I have recently started riding out for Eddie Lynam as well.

My two sisters started riding before me though they were into showjumping and eventing. I was the first in my family to go the racing side of it. Because they were at it, it was natural I would follow and I started riding when I was four in riding school. And then we got our own pony and it kind of progressed from there. I started in pony club and I did everything really; showjumping, eventing, hunting. You name it, I did it.

When I was 12, I did a bit of work experience for Ted Walsh and I was with him then for nine years, all in. I learned a lot, between him and Katie they both are very good to me. And I actually rode in a charity race for Ted a couple of years ago. That was when I knew for sure that I wanted to progress race-riding. I knew the love I had for it then. I got a massive buzz from it and was sure that this is what I wanted to do.

I decided I wanted to go to college and went up north in a college called CAFRE in Enniskillen. The degree was in equine science but the course itself is very practical. They have horses on site, point-to-point horses, so that’s the reason that I got my point-to-point license out in the first place. I rode in a few point-to-points for them and then David Christie got in contact with me. And then I started riding out for him when I was up in college.

David was great to learn off as well. He taught me a lot. I got to ride some great horses when I was in there. The horse that I won on in Punchestown on February 16 last year, Horendus Hulabaloo, was an ex-Gigginstown horse. David also let me ride Road To Riches as well in a point-to-point in Ballyraggett so that was a great experience. He had finished three and a half lengths in third behind Coneygree in a Gold Cup, was third behind Vautour in the Ryanair Chase the year after and was also sixth in the Grand National behind Tiger Roll. So that was some experience to ride him.

I was carrying a massive amount of lead though point-to-pointing so that was why the switch to Flat came about and I signed on to the Watsons. I am doing a few days a week now with Eddie Lynam, having started just three weeks ago. Again, I have learned loads from them all.

My first winner on the Flat came on Odd Venture in Cork on May 19 for Marshall and Keith. He is well named, as he is a tricky horse, he didn’t really seem to like Dundalk that much earlier in the year when he was running in blinkers. He went to Cork and we said we would strip it back, we took the blinkers off and put cheek pieces on him. The plan was to drop him out the back, but he jumped out so well and I ended up making the running on him. He seemed to love it then. He appreciated the bit of juice in the ground compared to Dundalk as well. It was unexpected now from our side but it was needed and very welcome.

I knew the winning feeling from the point-to-point the year before but it was a year on since that. It felt like it wasn’t going to happen again but coming to the line, about a half-furlong down, I thought they weren’t going to catch him. So it was unbelievable to enjoy that closing stretch.

My next two winners came on New Society, who has been a great servant to the yard. He has won three this year, two on the flat with me at Fairyhouse in June and Down Royal last month, which was the race that saw me lose my ten-pound claim, and one over hurdles, also at Fairyhouse in April, when Shane O’Callaghan was riding. He was only bought for a grand so it was a good pick by Marshall. He is a yard favourite and he’s definitely my favourite.

I haven’t decided if I will give National Hunt racing a go but I am going to stick with the Flat for the moment. My weight is good enough so I will stay there while it is. I can claim easily off bottom weight which is a help and hopefully and advantage for my agent Ruaidhri Tierney, when trying to get me outside rides.

My main hope for the rest of the year would be to get as many rides as I can and learn as much as I can off different people and improve my riding. Hopefully if that comes, then another few winners will too, but if doesn’t my main thing will be to just improve my riding as much as I can.

I have to be happy with the way the trajectory has gone at the moment. The Watsons are very good to me. They are putting me up on everything that they can. The owners in the yard are being great too, they are putting their trust in me and I am riding nearly everything in the yard so I owe all of them a big thanks.

It's brilliant to have so many girls in the weigh room now. There’s loads of us now. We all get on great, support each other and we learn from each other as well. There is a great group in there at the moment. We are all good friends so it’s nice.

I was very lucky to be working with Katie Walsh so long when I was at Ted’s. I would always have looked up to her when she was riding. When I started working with her it was great really. Then to learn off another girl as well, they understand where you are coming from.

At the end of the day, you have to take the gender out of it though. You are a jockey. There are no female riders and no male riders when you are racing. You are all trying to be as good as each other.