Principal Trainers: David Wachman, Tommy Stack
Notable Wins:
- Navigation Stakes (Ask Jack 2010)
- C.L. Weld Park Stakes (Chrysanthemum 2010)
- Nunthorpe Stakes (Sole Power 2010)
- Platinum Stakes (Hen Night 2010, Latin Love 2009)
- Naas Sprint Stakes (Miss Gorica 2010)
- Athasi Stakes (Lolly For Dolly 2010)
- Leopardstown 2,000 Guineas Trial Stakes (Noll Wallop 2010)
- Belgrave Stakes (Aine 2009)
- Anglesey Stakes (Walk On Bye 2009, Bushranger 2008, Myboycharlie 2007)
- Land O'Burns Fillies' Stakes (Sugar Free 2009)
- Irish Lincolnshire (Pollen 2009, Tolpuddle 2004)
- Give Thanks Stakes (Unsung Heroine 2008)
- Kilboy Estate Stakes (Navajo Moon 2008, Alexander Tango 2007)
- Celebration Stakes (Lisvale 2008)
- Martin Molony Stakes (Dress Rehearsal 2008)
- Birdcatcher Nursery (Fourpenny Lane 2007, Liscanna 2006)
- Guinness Gold Cup (Eagle’s Pass 2007)
- Meld Stakes (Fracas 2007)
- Kilboy Estate Stakes (Navajo Moon 2008, Alexander Tango 2007)
- Silver Stakes (Fracas 2007)
- Ballyogan Stakes (Liscanna 2007)
- Victor McCalmont Memorial Stakes (Anna Karenina 2007)
- Cork Stakes (Absolutelyfabulous 2007)
- Derrinstown Stud 1,000 Guineas Trial (Alexander Tango 2007)
- Ad Valorem Stakes (Lisvale 2007)
- Isabel Morris Stakes (Drayton 2006)
- Coolmore Stakes (Drayton 2006)
- Go And Go Round Tower Stakes (Rabatash 2006)
- Park Express Stakes (Danehill Music 2006)
- Diamond Stakes (The Carbon Unit 2005)
- Flame Of Tara Stakes (Alexander Alliance 2005, Kanisfluh 2003)
- Denny Cordell Lavarack Memorial EBF Stakes (Luas Line 2005)
- Rockingham Handicap (Bali Royal 2005)
- Amethyst Stakes (Tolpuddle 2005)
- Heritage Stakes (Tolpuddle 2004)
- Land Rover Premier Handicap (Serov 2003)
- Goffs £100,000 Challenge (Serious Play 2001)
- EBF Summer Fillies Handicap (Basin Street Blues 2000)
- Joe McGrath EBF Premier Handicap (Kenema 1999)
Early Days
Initially associated with the Co. Tipperary-based trainer Thomond O’Mara, Wayne Lordan took his first ride on the racecourse on the O’Mara-trained Sea Leopard in a handicap at Cork on April 26th 1998 and he got off the mark just a few short months later when riding the Ger Cully-trained Ethbaat to success in a handicap at the Killarney July Festival. He went on to ride two more winners that term, giving him a total of three successes from 80 rides, which was a more than satisfactory first campaign for Wayne.
1999 was something of a breakout year for Lordan, with him being used by a wide variety of trainers, and he rewarded that support by riding no less than 17 winners through the course of the year, stamping himself as one of the best young prospects in the Irish weighing room. Without doubt the highlight of that campaign was his win on the Gerald Stack-trained Kenema in the valuable Joe McGrath EBF Premier Handicap at the Curragh. Unfortunately, Lordan could not maintain the same strike rate in 2000 as he had the previous season, though his haul of 10 winners did include a win in the valuable EBF Summer Fillies Handicap at the Curragh on the Tommy Stack-trained Basin Street Blues.
2001 saw Lordan bounce right back to form, registering a career-best total of 23 winners for the season having received significantly more rides than he had in the past. Without doubt the highlight of that term was his lucrative win in the Goffs £100,000 Challenge on the Tommy Stack-trained Serious Play. While 2002 lacked a big-race win for Lordan, he maintained a similar number of wins from the year before and while he failed to match that number in 2003, he did at least boot home a valuable race winner on the Stack-trained Serov in the Land Rover Premier Handicap at his beloved Curragh. 2004 started off in tremendously promising fashion for Lordan, with him winning the Irish Lincoln and the listed Heritage Stakes at the Curragh on the Stack-trained Tolpuddle, but those would prove to be the highlights of what was something of a disappointing season for Lordan with him riding just 11 winners.
Climbing The Ladder
However, Lordan’s luck changed in no uncertain terms in 2005 when he became more closely associated with the David Wachman yard, with him demolishing his previous seasonal-best tally of winners and riding a multitude of big-race winners. The most valuable win of the season came on the Stack-trained Bali Royal in the prestigious Rockingham Handicap at the Curragh, with him also being Group 1-placed on the Wachman-trained Luas Line. He finished the season having ridden no less than 41 winners and accumulating well over €600,000 in prize money.
Lordan very much continued that momentum in 2006, riding the exact same number of winners despite taking significantly less rides. The season started off in great style for him with him winning the Park Express Stakes on the Wachman-trained Danehill Music on the opening day of the season at the Curragh, but perhaps the highlight of his season was the partnership he struck up with the Tommy Stack-trained Drayton. A precocious juvenile, Lordan rode him to win the opening juvenile maiden of the season at the Curragh as well as two listed races in the month of May at the same track, before narrowly losing out to the top-class Holy Roman Emperor in the Group 2 Railway Stakes.
A Rising Star
2007 saw Lordan reach all new heights both in terms of number of rides taken and number of winners ridden. It was an immensely successful season that saw him ride a multitude of big-races wins for both Wachman and Stack, with highlights coming on the likes of Alexander Tango in the Derrinstown Stud 1,000 Guineas Trial at Leopardstown and Myboycharlie in the Anglesey Stakes. He also formed notable partnerships with the Wachman-trained pair of Fracas and Lisvale, winning a brace of stakes races on each.
Remarkably, Lordan bettered his excellent haul of winners in 2007 the very next year, despite having taken less rides during that period. The Wachman-trained Bushranger was without doubt one of the most talented performers he rode that term, with the two-year-old giving him his second consecutive win in the Anglesey Stakes at the Curragh before going on to be Group 1-placed in the Phoenix Stakes.. Lordan formed a notable partnership with the Stack-trained Unsung Heroine, on whom he won the Group 3 Give Thanks Stakes at Cork before coming his closest yet to gaining a Classic victory when finishing second on her in the English St Leger. Such was the form he was in during the middle part of the season, he was at one time considered a serious challenger to the jockey’s championship and while his challenge for that title failed to maintain momentum to the end of the season, the promise of better still to come was undoubtedly present.
2009 was another tremendously successful term for Lordan. He started the season off in excellent fashion, riding the Stack-trained Pollen to win the Irish Lincoln at the Curragh. His most notable win of the season was his victory on the Stack-trained Walk On Bye in the Group 2 Anglesey Stakes at the Curragh, his third consecutive win in that prestigious race. He also claimed Listed race successes on the Stack-trained pair of Aine and Sugar Free, as well as another such win on the Wachman-trained Latin Love.
Group 1 Glory
2010 saw Lordan continue on in the same consistent form, consistently impressing with his tactical awareness and strength in a finish. He enjoyed big-race success from the outset of the campaign, riding the Stack-trained Lolly For Dolly to win the Group 3 Athasi Stakes at the Curragh and the Stack-trained Noll Wallop to win the Group 3 Leopardstown 2,000 Guineas Trial Stakes at Leopardstown. Further Listed race success came his way on the Joanna Morgan-trained Miss Gorica in the Naas Sprint Stakes and on the Wachman-trained Hen Night in the Platinum Stakes at Cork. However, the best was still very much to come. Riding the unconsidered 100/1 shot Sole Power in the Group 1 Nunthorpe Stakes at York in August, Lordan steered Eddie Lynam’s charge to cause one of the biggest Group 1 upsets of the decade. While it was a shock to many, there was no fluke about the performance and it was a very well-deserved first win at the highest level for Lordan. Understandably riding on a wave of confidence, Lordan soon added the Group 3 C.L. Weld Park Stakes at the Curragh to his tally by riding the Wachman-trained Chrysanthemum to success in it and he wrapped up a memorable season by riding the Joe Murphy-trained Ask Jack to win the Listed Navigation Stakes at Cork.
Now that Lordan has broken his duck at Group 1 level, 2011 promises to bring even greater success to this light weight and highly-talented rider.
Info supplied by Horse Racing Ireland - Updated January 2011
