Tipperary student Emma Doyle has won her first race just one day after getting her racing license.
The Moyne native won the BetVictor Handicap in Louth, riding Northern Surprise to victory, a horse owned by her mother Claire and trained by her father Tim.
In an interview after the race, the 19-year-old could barely contain her surprise at the win:
I honestly couldn’t believe it. He just kept picking up down the straight. I was barely touching him.
I knew him from his good days when he won three around here and he loves to come wide. Not a bother on him, he tried to run away on me coming back!
I should know him a lot better but he is dad’s pet, he rides him out every single day. I know him well enough at this stage.
Doyle admitted that she had seen this race as an opportunity to gain experience, stating that her career as a jockey is more of a 'weekend job':
I’ve ridden in a few schooling races but it is much different out there. It was a lot faster. I wanted to drop in and just kind of get a schooling around but it worked out a whole lot better for me.
I’m 19 and I’m in my second year at Maynooth so this is just a weekend job really. I’m studying business and marketing. The three-and-a-half hour journey up paid off — hopefully for the winter he’ll give me a few chances.
I wanted to drop in and learn a bit but it worked out a whole lot better for me!
A great interview here with Emma Doyle, the 19-year-old 10lb claimer who's a winner after her first-ever ride this evening at @DundalkStadium pic.twitter.com/W5G1mw5oRs
— Racing TV (@RacingTV) January 4, 2019
