Principal Jockeys: Pat Smullen, David Casey
Notable Wins:
- BAR ONE Racing Mourne Handicap (Luisant 2009)
- Ladbrokes.com Handicap Hurdle Grade B, Fairyhouse Easter Festival (Un Hinged 2010)
Having made a name for himself as a high-class amateur jockey, James Nash is now making waves in his new career as a trainer. He has caught the attention of many with a string of successful gambles in recent months and this dual-purpose trainer looks likely to enjoy even more success in the years ahead.
Success In The Saddle
Like many successful trainers, James Nash first came to prominence in racing through his exploits in the saddle. Riding as an amateur, Nash first made an impact whilst riding for Dermot Weld on the Flat in 1993 and having turned him attention to the National Hunt sphere the following year, he wasted no time making an impact. Soon associated with the Willie Mullins yard, it didn’t take long for him to become established as one of the leading riders in bumpers. He rode a number of future stars to success in that sphere such as Space Trucker, Florida Pearl, Be My Royal, Joe Cullen, Adamant Approach and Davenport Milenium. Nash took his final ride on the racecourse on the Willie Mullins-trained Bottom Dollar at Ballinrobe in June 2004 and his attentions soon turned to training.
Training Beckons
Having hung up his race-riding boots, Nash soon became associated with the John Coleman yard and he played a leading role in the increased success of that trainer in the seasons that followed, with horses such as The Colt King and Splurge registering numerous successes for the yard, perhaps his biggest success was training Un Hinged to win the Labrokes.com Handicap Hurdle at the high profile Easter Festival in Fairyhouse.
Having served his apprenticeship, Nash took out a license of his own and had his first runner in his own name when saddling Hoochie Mama to contest a hurdle race at Gowran Park on December 12th 2008. His first winner came just a few short months later when he sent out Johnee Joblot to win a handicap hurdle at Fairyhouse on February 13th 2009.
Luisant Takes Centre Stage
Without doubt, Luisant has been Nash’s stable star since he took out his license. A French-import, the son of Pivotal failed to make any sort of impact over hurdles in his first five starts for Nash, but once back on the Flat in 2009, he began to hint at better to come. Nash soon found the key to him by dropping him to 6f and a win in the valuable BAR ONE Racing Mourne Handicap at Dundalk soon followed in August. A fortnight later, Nash sent his charge back to that course and distance and claimed another handicap off a mark of 99, obliging him to consider stakes races for his fast-improving charge. While he has yet to win a stakes race, he has been a model of consistency in them ever since and is proving to be a lucrative performer for his connections. It is only a matter of time before he makes the breakthrough at Listed level.
National Hunt Success
The 2009/10 National Hunt season also saw Nash enjoy success, with Bigbiggerbiggest winning a maiden hurdle for him at Limerick in November. Later in the campaign, Nash registered one of the best training performances of the entire domestic season when bringing Red Basil back from an 18-month absence to land a gamble in a handicap hurdle for lady riders at Thurles in February.
A Notable Gamble
Another notable performer for Nash this Flat season has been Tsar Paul. After showing little in three starts in middle-distance maidens, the son of Xaar was issued with a handicap mark of 47. Dropped to 7f for his seasonal and handicap debut at Dundalk in April 2010, the five-year-old was heavily backed and with Pat Smullen in the saddle, rewarded his supporters by recording a narrow win. After a narrow reverse at Limerick 10 days later, he returned to winning ways with a very easy win over 6f at Dundalk, again landing some hefty bets.
With Nash rapidly gaining a reputation as a shrewd operator, the numbers in his care look sure to rise in the coming months and he is a young trainer that is very much worth keeping on the right side of.
Updated June 2010
