Kia Joorabchian ‘still a father figure’ to Rossa Ryan two years on from drawn-out Amo exit

Rossa Ryan’s exit from the number one job at Kia Joorabchian’s Amo Racing outfit was a long and drawn-out affair that shed little light on who had left whom, how, why and when – but two years on the prolific young jockey has said that he still sees Joorabchian as “a father figure”.

Ryan was speaking to the Racing Post for a major interview in Sunday’s newspaper in which he reflects on his astonishing tally of winners over the last two seasons, the fear of failure that drives him on, his heroes in the saddle and his rise to the top through jobs with Richard Hannon, Amo and Ralph Beckett.

The 24-year-old was first thrust into the spotlight as a youngster when given the number one role at Amo in 2020 and rode several big-race winners in the increasingly familiar purple silks, including Valiant Force at 150-1 in the Norfolk Stakes at Royal Ascot. He announced he had split from Amo at York's Ebor festival in 2022, but that was subsequently refuted by Joorabchian pending an internal investigation, which focused on why the jockey had ridden at York rather than at Newbury, where the owner had expected him to ride Amo's horses, before Joorabchian confirmed the split the following month.

“It was just a difference of opinion over one horse," said Ryan this week and, despite the circumstances of his exit, he insists he would still definitely take the job if he could have his time again.

"Yes, 100 per cent,” he said. “Amo was a new thing and they were buying so many nice horses that something was going to work out, then Go Bears Go and Hello You came along and both won Group 2s.

"I know I was young but I got to experience all those high-pressure rides and instead of taking the pressure on board I told myself if I messed up I'd still ride the next day, so just go out and ride the race.

"I learned to play tricks with my own mind, which works for me even now, and I got to experience how fast they go in the bigger races and what calibre of horse you really need. It was a milestone that took me up the ladder a small bit quicker, and there was never a falling out – Kia is still like a father figure to me."

Ryan has gone from strength to strength since then, riding 202 winners in Britain last year with another 114 in the bag in 2024, prompting talk of him as a future champion – talk Ryan is happy to fuel.

"I'd love to be champion one day because it means you're riding winners all the time,” he added, “and I love riding winners, always putting numbers on the board.”

Read more from Rossa Ryan in The Big Read, available in Sunday's newspaper or online for Members' Club Ultimate subscribers from 6pm on Saturday. Click here to sign up.

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