In recent seasons, Galway native Alain Cawley has gained widespread attention as one of the most promising young National Hunt riders in the weighing room. Riding as Paul Nolan’s main jockey, he really shot to prominence in the 2009/10 season, riding three Grade 1 winners in quick succession. With some potent ammunition at his disposal, Cawley is improving all the time and looks set to continue to rise up the ranks in the years ahead.
Principal Trainers: Paul Nolan
Notable Winners:
- Hennessy Gold Cup (Joncol 2010)
- Horse & Jockey Hotel Hurdle (Chicago Grey 2009)
- Barry & Sandra Kelly Memorial Novice Hurdle (Shinrock Paddy 2009)
- John Durkan Memorial Punchestown Chase (Joncol 2009)
- Ladbrokes Odds On Loyalty Card Handicap Hurdle (See U Bob 2009)
- Proudstown Handicap Hurdle (Our Eric 2008)
- Dial-A-Bet 1800 721 821 EBF Novice Hurdle (Alpha Ridge 2008)
- Newenham Mulligan Novice Hurdle (Alpha Ridge 2008)
- Laurence McLoughlin Builders Handicap Hurdle (By The Brook 2008)
- Martinstown Opportunity Series Final Handicap Hurdle (Here Comes Sally 2008)
- Kilkenny Handicap Hurdle (Square Ball 2007)
Early Days
Cawley has been associated with Paul Nolan from the very beginning of his career, initially riding on the Flat and taking his first ride in public on the Nolan-trained Investature in a 7f maiden at the Listowel Harvest Festival in 2004. He had to be patient in his wait for his first winner, with it eventually coming on his 61st ride on the Pat Kelly-trained Vanbrugh in a handicap hurdle at Cork on June 11th 2006. He gained two more wins that month and went on to add another three victories to his tally before the end of the year. While the remainder of the 2006/7 season was somewhat frustrating for Cawley, with him riding just one additional winner, the 2007/8 season would see him bounce back to even greater success.
Building A Reputation
Cawley opened his account for the season on the Paul Nolan-trained Square Ball in a handicap hurdle at Cork on the corresponding card to which he had gained his first career success a year earlier. He had a profitable fortnight in mid-August, riding three winners as well as finishing second twice. Unfortunately, that momentum was briefly interrupted by an injury sustained in a fall at Kilbeggan a few days later, but he made the perfect return from an absence of five weeks when riding the aforementioned Square Ball to victory in the valuable Kilkenny Handicap Hurdle at Gowran Park in early-October. Having ridden another winner a fortnight later, he was again forced to spend time on the sidelines due to injury, this time missing the month of November after a fall off Moskova in a hurdle race at Punchestown in late-October. Despite those setbacks, 2008 would see him make up for lost time in no uncertain terms.
He gained a winner a month in January, February and March respectively, but it was April that saw him come to national attention. Having ridden consistently well in the Martinstown Opportunity Series races throughout the season, Cawley went into the final of the series at the Punchestown Festival trailing Denis Hogan by eight points. Riding the Paul Pierce-trained Here Comes Sally, Cawley showed strength in abundance to get his mount home by a length and with Hogan’s mount having fallen earlier in the race, that was enough to clinch the Martinstown Opportunity Series title for Cawley. Unsurprisingly, that win served as a confidence booster for Cawley and having ridden a winner at Kilbeggan the following week, he went on to gain a valuable success on the Paul Nolan-trained By The Brook in a handicap hurdle at Navan later that month. Due to his win in the Martinstown Opportunity Series, Cawley was selected as part of a team of four Irish jockeys to travel to Australia in August 2008 and compete with the local riders in a series of races. As well as having a great time, he acquitted himself well on the racecourses, riding a winner along the way.
Back Home And Better Than Ever
Cawley returned from Australia with increased confidence and he enjoyed a much-improved season in 2008/9. He won a race every month from September to November on the Nolan-trained Alpha Ridge, including his first Listed and Graded successes in the Newenham Mulligan Novice Hurdle at Limerick and the Dial-A-Bet 1800 721 821 EBF Novice Hurdle at Cork respectively. He also won three races on both the Cecil Ross-trained Our Eric (including the valuable Proudstown Handicap Hurdle at Navan) and the Caroline Hutchinson-trained Blue Express. In total, he rode no less than 29 winners during the course of the campaign which was enough to see him crowned Champion Conditional Rider.
Grade 1 Glory
Cawley reached a notable career milestone on June 13th 2009, riding out his claim by driving the Nolan-trained Captain Nash to a short-head success in a maiden hurdle at Limerick. It represented a strong start to what would prove to be an excellent campaign for him. It was December that Cawley’s career was really taken to another level, as he rode his first Grade 1 winner on the Nolan-trained Joncol in the John Durkan Memorial Chase at Punchestown. Just a week later, he doubled his tally at the highest level when riding the Nolan-trained Shinrock Paddy to win the Barry & Sandra Kelly Memorial Novice Hurdle at Navan. Remarkably, the following weekend Cawley made it three Sunday feature races in a row by riding the Gordon Elliott-trained Chicago Grey to success in the Listed Horse And Jockey Hurdle at Thurles. While his bid to gain his third Grade 1 win of the month on Joncol in the Lexus Chase at Leopardstown ended in defeat, he gained ample compensation for that defeat when riding the same horse to a memorable success in the Hennessy Cognac Gold Cup at Leopardstown the following February. It was a remarkably successful season for Cawley and it very much put him in spotlight.
Cawley has enjoyed a solid season in 2010/11 thus far. While he is yet to add to his Grade 1 tally, he has ridden the likes of Shinrock Paddy and Seafield to success and both of those performers are likely to be competitive at the highest level as the season progresses. With him now firmly established a fully-fledged jockey, Alain Cawley is likely to continue to go from strength to strength.
Info supplied by Horse Racing Ireland - Updated January 2011
