Eddie Power is a name that many will be familiar with since his riding days and the Tipperary native has enjoyed a fantastic start to his training career when saddling two winners and a second from his first three runners in recent weeks.
Having ridden over 60 winners, Power retired following a bad fall at Kilbeggan in 2013. The 33-year-old enjoyed some great days in the saddle including winning the Grade 2 Kinloch Bray Chase aboard Newmill at Thurles, along with a steering home a couple of graded winners aboard smart juvenile Convincing, whom he also rode in the Triumph Hurdle at Cheltenham.
Having gained a wealth of experienced with some of the best operators in the industry, Eddie Power could now be a name to watch in the training ranks.
Next Generation | Handler
Name: Eddie Power
Age: 33
Where are you from originally?
I am a Tipperary man, from Ballycahill outside Thurles.
How long have you been training for?
I just took out my handlers license recently, because I had a few nice horses in and I have always wanted to train.
Going back to the beginning, are you from a racing background originally? How did you get involved in racing?
I was actually the first in my family to get involved with horses. I loved hunting and I could never get them to go fast enough or jump high enough, so I was sent down the racing route.
When I was 16 I started riding out for Danny O’Connell and I rode four or five point-to-point winners for him. I wanted to start riding on the track, so I moved to Tom Hogan’s and I rode two bumper winners for him before turning professional.
I rode a couple of winners over hurdles as a freelance before getting a job with John Joseph Murphy in Cork. John was very good to me, I worked hard but John is very fair and the harder you work the more chances he will give you.
I teamed up with John Joe Walsh for a while after that, a lot of people were starting to think I was a Cork man because I was based down there!
What were your highlights when you were riding?
I rode Newmill to win the Kinloch Bray Chase at Thurles for John Murphy and I also got to ride him at the November meeting at Cheltenham. I won a couple of graded hurdles as well on Convincing for John.
How come you finished up riding?
I got a bad fall in Kilbeggan in 2013, I shattered one vertebrate in my back and cracked four more. I had to get two rods put in so that ended my riding career.
Did you always hold aspiration of training?
I had it in my head for a long time that I would like to go down the point-to-point route as I have always had a huge interest in it. I started riding out for Sam Curling when I was still freelance before spending a year as an assistant back with Tom Hogan.
I got the opportunity to travel with Gordon Lord Byron, going to Australia and Hong Hong with him.
When I came back to Ireland I was planning to go down the breeze up route so I got involved with Paddy Twomey and Con Marnane. I had a go with two breeze up horses but unfortunately they weren’t by fashionable sires, so even though they clocked good times they didn’t sell that well.
You work for Pat Doyle now and do your own in the afternoon?
I started working for Pat a couple of years ago and I have learnt an awful lot from him. I had bought a couple of nice horses this season, so I decided to give training a go.
Where do you keep your own horses?
Pat has a second yard down the road with seven boxes. I have that for my few and I use Pat’s gallop in the afternoon. Without Pat I would be lost and Paddy Twomey has also been very good to me, he would have had Perpignan originally. I have three of my own in at the moment.
You had a great start to the training career with Zero To Hero finishing second at Ballinboola and Perpignan winning at Belharbour on your first day with runners?
It was a dream start, I was confident that both of them would run well, although I kept that to myself!
Perpignan followed up again last weekend?
He pulled out very well the next day after winning at Belharbour, so I entered him again. I went to Oldtown for the ground but I was a bit cautious of Getaman who was impressive when winning his maiden.
Thankfully my lad won well as I hoped he would, as I think he is a nice horse. Evan Dwan rode him on Sunday, he works for Pat and he gives me a hand. He is a hard worker and a good rider, he deserves every chance he gets.
What it the plan for Perpignan now?
We wouldn’t turn down a good offer for him and he will either be sold now or he will go for a winners of three at Kildorrey, before we look for a Hunters Chase for him.
Will you sell Zero To Hero?
She will go to the Tattersalls Cheltenham Sales now, so hopefully we will get her away over there.
Is the aim to attract owners or to buy and sell then?
I am just taking things as they come, I would like to buy and sell for myself but I certainly won’t be turning anybody away.
Would you hold aspirations to get a track licence in the future?
For the immediate future I will establish myself point-to-pointing, in time I would love to get a licence to run horses on the track. I am just going to focus on proving myself first.
Next Generation | Handler - Eddie Power
— p2p.ie (@irishp2p) February 13, 2019
Eddie Power has enjoyed a dream start to his training career and the former jockey explains how it all came about here %u27A1%uFE0F https://t.co/ewA0VdUTTc pic.twitter.com/2ODRr6u52L
