Name: Adam Leahy
Age: 18
From: Old Leighlin
18-year-old Adam Leahy enjoyed a career first when winning the Northern Excavators Ltd Novice Riders Open at Moira aboard the Shark Hanlon trained Rewritetherules.
The seven-year-old had been patiently ridden by Leahy before making a decisive move along the back straight after which the pair were never headed.
How did you get started with horses?
My mam Imelda was a jockey, so I would have grown up around horses. When I was younger I used to do plenty of show-jumping and eventing.
I got started with racehorses when I was about 12 or 13, my mam got me to go into the Shark’s a couple of mornings and just got the bug from there.
Where are you based at the moment?
I work full-time for the Shark now, I came back to him in March 2020 after spending two years with Willie Mullins.
It was a great experience riding out in Willies, there were so many good riders in there, I learnt plenty.
Do you ride out anywhere else?
I ride out for Paul Hennessy in the morning time before I head into the Sharks. I would do plenty of schooling for other people as well.
From working in Shark’s, Rewritetherules is probably a horse you know well, were you confident of a big run heading into Saturday?
We were hoping for him to run well, he’s a funny horse. He’s not the most straight forward at times, he can be very keen but he was good on Saturday.
He’s entered in the sales in two weeks’ time at the Goffs UK Autumn Sale so it’s looking likely he will be sold.
My mam came to the point-to-point on Saturday, she was absolutely over the moon. It was great to have her there on the day.
What are your ambitions for remainder of the season?
Just to stay riding away and get as much experience as I can and hopefully ride another couple of winners.
What do you think of the additional 5lb claim for riders with less than 5 winners in novice races?
I think it’s a great job, especially for more inexperienced lads as there are plenty of very good novice riders at the moment getting more opportunities. So it’s good to have that extra claim which allows handlers to claim off their horses if they wish.
It gives those lads who haven’t had that many opportunities a bit of an advantage.
Is there any rider in particular that you think people should watch out for?
Dan Nevin, he’s a great rider and doing well. We both started in Willie Mullins together and would have left there around the same time too. He’s a good friend of mine.
Who would have been your biggest influence in racing?
Brian Hayes has been a big influence on me, he has always been fierce sound to me.
I got to know Brian in the Sharks and then in Willie’s. He is great for advice and is always helping me. You could ask him anything and he would always have an answer for you.
Do you have any other interests outside of racing?
I really enjoy hunting, I don’t get out as much as I would like nowadays. I would have hunted mainly with the Duhallow Foxhounds down in Cork where my Mam is from.
