Andrew Lynch has only come to prominence relatively recently, but in the last three years he has established himself as one of the most promising National Hunt jockey in Ireland. His tally of winners has been steadily on the rise in recent seasons and having gained a multitude of big-race wins in that time, Lynch’s star is very much on the rise.
Principal Trainers: Paul Gilligan, Henry De Bromhead, Jim Dreaper 
Notable Wins:
- Buck House Novice Chase (Loosen My Load 2010, Sizing Europe 2009)
- Powers Gold Cup (Jadanli 2010)
- Albert Bartlett Novices' Hurdle (Berties Dream 2010)
- Irish Independent Arkle Challenge Trophy Chase (Sizing Europe 2010)
- Ulster National (Chief Oscar 2010)
- Ten Up Novice Chase (Telenor 2010)
- Bord na Mona with Nature Novice Chase (Sizing Europe 2009)
- Lombardstown Mares Novice Chase (Royal Choice 2009)
- Sharp Novices' Hurdle (Loosen My Load 2009)
- Craddockstown Novice Chase (Sizing Europe 2009)
- Punchestown Guinness Gold Cup (Notre Pere 2009)
- Welsh Grand National (Notre Pere 2008)
- Troytown Handicap Chase (Notre Pere 2008)
- Knight Frank Ganly Walters Novice Chase (Notre Pere 2007)
- Freshways Handicap Hurdle (Nintytwo Team 2007)
- Kevin McManus Bookmaker Grimes Hurdle (Essex 2007)
- Dunboyne Castle Hotel & Spa Novice Hurdle (De Valira 2007)
- Sherry Fitzgerald Hurdle (Essex 2007)
- Aramark Winning Fair Juvenile Hurdle (Duty 2007)
- Kinloch Brae Chase (Forget The Past 2007)
- paddypower.com Future Champions Novice Hurdle (De Valira 2006)
- O'Connell Transport Cork Stayers Novice Hurdle (Emma Jane 2006)
- Open Northern Ireland's Betting Shops On Sundays Handicap Hurdle (Victram 2006)
- Imperial Cup Handicap Hurdle (Victram 2006)
- INH Stallion Owners EBF Novice Hurdle (Blueberry Boy 2005),
- Burton & Smith Amateur Derby (Tender Falcon 2004)
Early Days
Andrew had his first racecourse ride on a horse called Jack Dante in a bumper at Fairyhouse in April 2001. He had to wait over a year to get off the mark which he did at the 26th time of asking on Tristernagh in a novice hurdle at Downpatrick on May 18th 2002. A fortnight later he had a dream day at Downpatrick, riding a double on Altregan Lady and Bavardante. One might have thought that riding a double so early in his career would have resulted in a brisk upturn in the quality of his mounts, but amazingly, Lynch only rode three winners in the two years that followed that day at Downpatrick.
Making An Impression
As proof that that Lynch was beginning to get noticed on the wider stage, he picked up the ride on the Ron Hodges-trained Tender Falcon in the Burton & Smith Amateur Derby at Epsom in late-August 2004, his first ride on the Flat in England. He kept the 9/2 favourite in the ideal position throughout and having hit the front over 2f out, the four-year-old stayed on strongly to prevail by 1¼ lengths. Lynch gained his next win on the Paul Stafford-trained Blueberry Boy in a bumper at the Leopardstown Christmas meeting. The following few months proved to be profitable for Lynch with him gaining wins on the likes of Penny Out, Amber Trix and Ballard Lad. His win on the latter gelding in a bumper at Wexford on 24th July 2005 proved to be the final winner of his amateur career as he took the brave decision to turn professional a few days later.
A Professional
The winners continued to mount up for Lynch over the coming months with him completing a notable double at Punchestown on 19th November 2005, riding Blueberry Boy to win a conditions hurdle and the Jim Dreaper-trained Tazmana to win a maiden hurdle. The following month, Lynch again combined with Blueberry Boy to gain what was the biggest success of his career at the time in the Listed INH Stallion Owners EBF Novice Hurdle at Punchestown. However, Lynch had to wait a while for the win to become official as on the day, the pair were demoted to second having been adjudged to have caused interference, but that controversial decision was reversed on appeal.
2006 was very much a breakout period for Lynch, but the year did not start out nearly as well as he would have hoped as he broke his arm in a schooling accident just days into the New Year. That injury resulted in him missing over two months of action, but he made the perfect return to the racecourse when partnering the Ado McGuinness-trained Victram to victory in the valuable Sunderlands Imperial Cup Handicap. Lynch gained almost universal plaudits for the superb waiting ride he gave the six-year-old and it was particularly satisfying for him as he had finished third on the same horse in the William Hill Handicap Hurdle over the same course and distance the previous December.
A Break-Out Season
Lynch continued to get more and more rides through the course of the year, gaining notable wins on the Michael O’Brien-trained Commonchero in the www.tote.ie Galway Plate Trial Handicap Chase at Tipperary in June and on the aforementioned Victram in the valuable Open Northern Ireland's Betting Shops On Sundays Handicap Hurdle at Down Royal in November. The latter win marked the beginning of a hot run of form for Lynch during which he gained a number of Graded successes in a highly-profitable six week period. He struck first on his old friend Blueberry Boy in the Grade 2 Volkswagen Craddockstown Novice Chase at Punchestown before claiming the Grade 3 O'Connell Transport Cork Stayers Novice Hurdle on the Padge Berry-trained Emma Jane and he then completed a memorable few weeks by riding the Michael O’Brien-trained De Valira to victory in the Grade 2 paddypower.com Future Champions Novice Hurdle at Leopardstown.
Big-Race Success
2007 started off in grand style for Lynch with him gaining four wins during the opening month of the year with the undoubted highlight coming on Forget The Past in the Grade 2 MacLochlainn Road Markings Ltd. Kinloch Brae Chase at Thurles. The following month he partnered the Kevin O’Brien-trained Duty to easily win the Grade 3 Aramark Winning Fair Juvenile Hurdle at Fairyhouse. Lynch continued to boot home the winners until having memorable couple of days at the Fairyhouse Easter Festival, winning the Listed Sherry Fitzgerald Hurdle on Essex and the Grade 2 Dunboyne Castle Hotel & Spa Novice Hurdle on De Valira. He rode out his 3lbs claim on Trevi Fountain in a handicap hurdle at Ballinrobe in mid-June and gained a notable win on the Essex in the Grade 3 Kevin McManus Bookmaker Grimes Hurdle at Tipperary. The Galway Festival saw him ride Nintytwo Team to success in the Freshways Handicap Hurdle and Tai Lass to success in a valuable handicap hurdle. He capped a highly-successful year by gaining his first ever Grade 1 win when riding the Jim Dreaper-trained Notre Pere to success in the Knight Frank Ganly Walters Novice Chase at the Christmas meeting at Leopardstown.
While the 2008/9 season was generally a disappointing one for Lynch, it was very much saved by the performances of the aforementioned Notre Pere. Having entered the handicap ranks, he gained valuable wins in the Troytown Handicap Chase at Navan and in the Welsh Grand National. Those wins put him back in the mix in Grade 1 company and having finished second in the Hennessy Cognac Gold Cup at Leopardstown in February, he made no mistake when winning the Guinness Gold Cup at the Punchestown Festival.
A Season To Remember
Buoyed by those Grade 1 successes, Lynch would bounce right back to achieve career-best totals of winners and prize money in 2009/10. The season was perhaps most notable for the partnerships he struck up with horses trained by Henry De Bromhead. Loosen My Load was the first to strike for the partnership, winning two novice hurdles including the Grade 3 Sharp Novices' Hurdle at Cheltenham’s November meeting. A couple of weeks later, Lynch partnered the De Bromhead-trained Royal Choice to success in the Grade 3 Lombardstown Mares Novice Chase at Cork, but it was Lynch’s partnership with the De Bromhead-trained Sizing Europe that really made his season. Already a top-class hurdler that had made a winning chasing debut the previous May, Lynch picked up the ride on him and won four consecutive Graded novice chases on him, with the highlights being his Grade 1 wins in the Bord na Mona with Nature Novice Chase at Leopardstown’s Christmas meeting and the Irish Independent Arkle Challenge Trophy Chase at the Cheltenham Festival. That latter success was a memorable first win for Lynch at the Cheltenham Festival and later that week, he doubled his tally by winning the Albert Bartlett Novices' Hurdle on the Paul Gilligan-trained Berties Dream. Gilligan provided him with another Grade 1 win the following month, with Lynch riding Jadanli to a gritty success in the Powers Gold Cup at the Fairyhouse Easter Festival. That win capped what was a remarkable season for Lynch, with four Grade 1 successes among his 38 wins.
Further Progression
2009/10 was always going to be a difficult act to follow for Lynch, but he is well on his way to doing so in 2010/11. He has been more in demand than ever and he has maintained his strike rate throughout the campaign. The aforementioned Loosen My Load gave him his biggest win of the season thus far in the Grade 3 Buck House Novice Chase at Punchestown in October and while he has yet to strike at the highest level, it looks to be only a matter of time before he does so.
At the rate he is progressing, Andrew Lynch looks destined to continue rising up the ranks in the Irish weighing room for many seasons to come.
Info supplied by Horse Racing Ireland - Updated January 2011
