Age: 18
Principal Trainer: Jim Bolger
Notable Wins: I.T.B.A. (South East Region) European Breeders Fund Premier Nursery (Atasari 2009), Irish Stallion Farms European Breeders Fund Premier Nursery (Puncher Clynch 2009)
Ronan Whelan is the latest in a long line of promising apprentice jockeys to have emerged from Jim Bolger’s yard and with him now gaining the support of many outside yards, this season looks set to be the 18-year-olds break-out year.
Early Days
A native of Monasterevin in Co. Kildare, Ronan Whelan was a well-regarded graduate of the pony racing circuit, having ridden 95 winners and being crowned the leading pony rider in 2008. Such an achievement has proven to be a consistent indicator of future success on the racecourse and thus it was no surprise to see Whelan join the yard of Jim Bolger, who is widely considered to be the leading nurturer of apprentice jockeys in the country.
Whelan took his first ride on the racecourse at the tender age of 16, riding the Bolger-trained Bipasha to finish sixth in a handicap at Leopardstown on June 4th 2009. He didn’t have to wait long to get off the mark, as the very next day he rode the Bolger-trained Seachtanach to win an 8f handicap at Leopardstown. While he had to wait until September to add to his tally, it was more than worth the wait, as he enjoyed a remarkable nine days. First, he won the valuable Irish Stallion Farms European Breeders Fund Premier Nursery at the Listowel Harvest Festival on the Bolger-trained Puncher Clynch and just nine days later, he rode the Bolger-trained Atasari to win the valuable I.T.B.A. (South East Region) European Breeders Fund Premier Nursery at Gowran Park. While he failed to add to his tally for the remainder of the season, his total of three winners from 61 rides was a more than satisfactory first seasonal haul.
2010 was a year of solid progression for Whelan. He took rides for more and more outside trainers and improved as the season went on. He got off the mark for the season on the Bolger-trained Purple Glow in a juvenile maiden at Navan on May 16th and a week later, he was involved in an incident at the Curragh that made worldwide headlines. Riding the Brian Nolan-trained Monivea in a premier handicap at the Curragh on 2,000 Guineas day, Whelan dropped his whip soon after leaving the stalls and having finished eighth, the acting stewards somehow adjudged that he had used his non-existent whip with excessive frequency and banned him for three days. It wasn’t until Bolger went into the stewards’ room and informed them that Whelan had dropped his whip that they apologised and overturned the ban. After that drama, Whelan went on to record a steady stream of success, riding a total of four winners from 114 rides in what was a more than satisfactory second season in the saddle.
A Break-Out Season
With seven wins from 175 rides in two years, Whelan set out for the 2011 season a more experienced and mature rider and on May 12th he gave an indication that this was going to be his break-out year. Riding at Gowran Park, Whelan completed his first-ever double. That kick-started his season and within a month, he had ridden three more winners and he was well and truly on his way to recording a much-improved tally of winners.
With Whelan getting more and more support from outside trainers, his upward curve looks sure to continue and a return to the big-race winners enclosure is unlikely to be too far away.
