DONNACHA O’Brien saddled his first winner as a trainer at Dundalk on Friday night.
The former leading jockey was on hand to watch his odds-on favourite Flower Garland bolt up by six lengths.
O’Brien, 21, decided to retire from riding at the end of last season because of issues with his weight.
He won 10 Group 1 races during his short career, the majority for his dad Aidan and brother Joseph.
He is now training out of David Wachman’s old yard, and he was over the moon to get off the mark in his new role.
He grinned: “It’s nice to get the first one out the way!
“I thought she had a very good chance coming here, I didn’t think she’d win that well but we fancied her.”
With the Flat season edging nearer, O’Brien said his string are approaching match readiness.
He continued: “They’re starting to do a bit of stronger work now, we have a nice bit of quality in the yard so we are looking forward to the start of the season.
“I’ve got a lot of lads that worked with David (Wachman) first and then were with Dad at Ballydoyle so I’ve got a great team around me.
“We are still figuring things out but we are getting there. I’ve not set any targets and I’m just feeling my way at the moment.
“I’m just trying to get the most out of each individual horse.
“When you’re training them it’s like being in a relationship with them! They’re the first thing you see in the morning so it’s a lot different to riding them.”
