It was a red letter day last Sunday for Dylan Whelan, who was seen to good effect when booting home his first winner at Lisronagh. From Stradbally in Waterford, the novice rider gave Enbarr Of Mannan a polished ride to take the concluding novice riders maiden for Alan Roche.
The 18-year-old took out his licence last season and is getting plenty of experience, with 23 rides on the board already. With the backing of a number of local trainers behind him Whelan is certainly one to watch out for in the future.
Next Generation | Rider
Name: Dylan Whelan
Age: 18
From: Stradbally, Waterford
Are you from a racing background?
I wouldn’t really be from a racing family, but my cousin Patrick Kiely trains and his brother David is a jockey. There are a lot of horses around the village as well which helped get me involved.
How did you get started then in racing?
I rode a few ponies when I was younger and Margaret Flynn got me going riding out a few horses on a Saturday morning when I was 13 or 14. Nicky Kiely was training point-to-pointers at the time so I used to ride out a bit for him as well.
Where are you based now?
I am based with Vincent Halley for the last two years and he has been very good to me. I have been learning a lot, doing plenty of schooling and riding work.
We would be busy enough inside there with all the point-to-pointers and the summer horses are back in again as well.
Johnny Barry comes in schooling and he would be a big help to me. We do a lot of schooling around Glencairn and he is always giving me advice.
You had your first rides last season?
Patrick Kiely gave me my first few rides last year and has been very good to me with Turtle Express and The Greenway Machine who were great to get me going.
It must have been fantastic to get off the mark aboard Enbarr of Mannan at Lisronagh on Sunday?
It was a great day, a day I’ll never forget. I left school at 16 to try and become a jockey and it is working out for me now lately. That was my third time riding the horse for Alan Roche.
I rode him in Tallow the first day and he was just a bit unfit. He ran well the next day at Lingstown and he came on again from that, so I was hopeful enough heading to Lisronagh.
We jumped off handy but there was a bit of a rush on down to the first so I was happy to sit in. He travelled well though the race and didn’t miss a beat. I picked it up with a mile to go and managed to get a breather into him before we turned in and after that he just kept galloping away for me.
My grandfather was there to watch, he could barely talk after the race! He comes racing every day and is a great help to me.
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What are your ambitions now for the season?
Hopefully to get another winner or two on the board and get as much experience as possible.
Have you longer term plans for the future?
I would like to turn conditional when I have a few winners ridden, if I’m good enough! I am only 9 stone so I am light enough anyhow.
Who has been your biggest influence in racing or who would you look up to?
Davy Russell would be a role model of mine and I would try and base myself of him. When you watch replays he just never moves. Davy always seems to be in the right place and he lets other lads do all the donkey work. He is a nice character too and would talk away to you.
Do you do any sport outside of racing?
I play football and hurling with my local club in Stradbally.
Is there any other riders we should be watching out for?
Conor Houlihan is local enough be me and you have a few lads over in Tallow like Adam Feeney and Michael Sweeny that are doing well. There is plenty of competition!
What's the best piece of advice you've ever been given?
Keep kicking!
Next Generation | Rider - Dylan Whelan
— p2p.ie (@irishp2p) April 3, 2019
18-year-old Dylan Whelan rode his first winner at Lisronagh last Sunday and discusses his background and future ambitions here %u27A1%uFE0F https://t.co/np0fGpeE3i pic.twitter.com/JkzNcDyGhH
