Velazquez reflects on 'incredible' Irish reception
The legendary jockey enjoyed a stacked book of rides on Derby Weekend
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John Velazquez has 20 Breeders' Cup successes to his name
I have had a great welcome, incredible. It’s nice to get the fans’ appreciation.
Legendary jockey John Velazquez hailed an ‘incredible’ reception from the Irish racing public after his rides on Derby weekend.
The 52-year-old, who has nearly 7,000 career winners and 20 Breeders’ Cup successes to his name, had his first-ever ride in Ireland when partnering De Janeiro at Naas last Wednesday.
That meant a reunion with Dermot Weld, for whom he rode Zhukova to a memorable Man o’ War Stakes success in 2017, but victory eluded the pair on this occasion.
He followed up with nine more rides at the Curragh across the weekend and the lack of trips to the winners’ enclosure didn’t dampen his enjoyment.
“I can’t be too annoyed as I came to Ireland without too many expectations,” said Velazquez, who was inducted into the Horse Racing Hall of Fame in 2012.
“I’m enjoying it. I have had a great welcome, incredible. It’s nice to get the fans’ appreciation.
“The trainers have jockeys they use a lot here so I am trying to pick up what I can from them.”
Asked for any differences between riding Stateside and in Ireland, the Puerto Rican said: “A good horse can take you anywhere, wherever you are.
“Our job is to put them in the right direction and if you have a good horse in a good competition, that’s all it takes.
“I travel the world and ultimately it’s a good horse that gets you into the winner’s circle.”
Velazquez, who also has four Royal Ascot wins on his CV, came closest to a first Irish winner on board Johnny Murtagh’s Thor’s Hammer in Sunday’s opener, the Paddy Power "From The Horse's Mouth Podcast" Handicap.
North America's all-time leading jockey in purse earnings looked well placed to add an Irish triumph to his collection six furlongs out but ultimately lost out to 2/1 favourite Sharinay, with Arabic Legend edging out Velazquez’s mount for second.
“I was travelling so nicely and I had the favourite inside of me so I didn’t want to move too soon,” he said.
“I got to pin him down a little bit but I didn’t have enough horse and he went on to win pretty easily.”
Velazquez is now set to head for more familiar territory, with racing fans in Ireland no doubt hoping they have not seen the last of the man known as ‘the Frankie Dettori of America’.