Image © Healy Racing
Ross Sugrue, who missed the entire autumn campaign due to injury, has made a strong start to the spring season, having partnered five winners since his return at Dromahane on 30th December.
“I got cleared to ride on St Stephen’s day and rode a winner a few days later at Dromahane," the 22-year-old Tralee native said.
Based with Jonathan Fogarty in Wexford since last August, Sugrue also schools for Matthew Flynn O’Connor and Liam Kenny in the afternoons, and is open to schooling for anyone else who needs him.
It was his boss Fogarty who provided Sugrue with his first success of the weekend when he guided Malayalam to a three-length victory in the five-year-old geldings’ maiden at Knockanard on Saturday.
Sugrue had ridden for Fogarty just once previously, when winning aboard Local Derby at Stradbally in May 2024.
Quipping that he now has a 100% strike rate for the Gaynestown Stud team with 2 wins from 2 rides, Sugrue added that “Malayalam is after improving lots and we fancied him strongly going there. He jumped very well and won going away. He will be for sale now.”
On Sunday, Sugrue travelled to Lisronagh where he recorded his fourth career double.
Having struck-up a successful partnership with Eoin McCarthy previously, the pair combined again to win the five-year-old geldings' maiden on the card with Brendaandtheboys.
“I rode Brendaandtheboys last May in Tralee where the ground was a bit heavy and the horse was a bit weak at the time.
“He’s improved since then and he was never ridden right, he was always dropped-in, so we changed the tactics this time and made the running which worked out well.”
Sugrue’s two-timer was completed in the concluding older maiden where the Michael Mangan-trained Potters Voyage justified favouritism when getting up to score by the narrowest of margins in a thrilling finish.
“I rode Potters Voyage a few times and we used to ride him from the front. We started to drop him in a bit and he finished a good second in Dromahane last time out. We fancied him strongly.
“He’s very tough and battled gamely for me right to the line.”
Sugrue spoke very fondly about the Mangan family as former amateur rider Gerry was a huge influence in his early career and he was delighted to ride a second winner for their yard.
“I grew up with Michael’s son Gerry Mangan and he taught me everything I know. That’s where my bread was buttered.
“Gerry was still race riding and he was like an idol to me growing up, I looked up to him. I still ring him every Sunday or Monday to review my weekend rides and he give me advice on what I’m doing right or wrong. Hopefully we can get a few more winners together.
“Mikey and Jonathan Fogarty have also been great to me. Mikey used to ride and he’s always available for advice.
“My father Raymond is a massive support, he rarely misses any of my races and travels the length and breadth of Ireland to watch me ride. He gets a great kick out of it when I ride a winner.”
Sugrue has now ridden 17 winners between the flags and gained his first racecourse success last September at Listowel when the Philip Rothwell-trained Galon De Vauzelle scored in a Q.R. Handicap Chase.
“It was brilliant to get my first track win, especially for Philip, as he provided me with my first points winner too. We became great friends since then and whenever he can give me a spin, he looks after me.”
Not long after Sugrue’s Listowel victory he broke a bone in his foot for the second time inside a few months causing him to spend the autumn season on the sidelines.
Looking ahead, Sugrue’s aim for the rest of the season is to stay injury free and try to ride as many winners as possible.
