'I'm absolutely delighted' - Oisin Orr thrilled to be joining forces with Fahey

Oisin Orr has been appointed stable jockey to Richard Fahey, taking over from Paul Hanagan whose long stint in the job ended earlier this week.

Orr, 24, was champion apprentice in Ireland in 2017 and has ridden winners for the Malton yard at Ayr and Ripon in the last few days.

The jockey said: "I'm absolutely delighted. I was half-thinking of coming over to England at one stage last year but didn't. Then this opportunity arose a few days ago and, within two days, I was over here. It's great.

"It was lovely to get off the mark for Richard at Ayr on Monday but, to be honest, Clearpoint was so good that it was just a case of staying on his back. I think he's a lovely horse and he had been showing plenty at home. We like him."

Orr has enjoyed his short time in Britain and is now looking for somewhere to live.

Reflecting on the move, he said: "Richard rang me to come over for a week and try it – 'See how you get on,' he said. I've loved it so far and I've no plans on going home.

"I'm living in Richard's house at the minute, but hopefully in the near future I'll get my own place and we'll go from there.

"I've been getting rides every day which is great. That doesn't happen in Ireland unless you are stable jockey. I've no plans on going home. I'm loving it."

Welcoming his new jockey, Fahey wrote in his sportinglife.com column: "We had Oisin over so he could have a look at us and we could have a look at him. It's worked out great and I'm really looking forward to working together now."

Hanagan rode 939 British winners for Fahey as the pair combined to huge effect to become a formidable partnership. He rode 82 winners on his way to the apprentice title in 2002 and went on to win the jockeys' championship in 2010 and 2011.

Richard Fahey and Paul Hanagan had plenty of success togetherCredit: Edward Whitaker

The pair enjoyed a string of notable triumphs and the partnership proved one of the most powerful in the north and plenty good enough to win in the south as well.

The team's biggest successes came with Wootton Bassett, an outstanding two-year-old who won all five starts in 2010 culminating in the the Group 1 Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere at Longchamp, and Mayson, a high-class sprinter who won the July Cup by five lengths at a muddy Newmarket in 2012.

Such success led to Hanagan getting the call to ride for Sheikh Hamdan, but the old team got back together after that job ended and they enjoyed further Group 1 glory with Sands Of Mali in the British Champions Sprint Stakes at Ascot in 2018.

Oisin Orr details

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