Flying Flanagan thinks Mullins' achievements will be matched one day
Jockey Sean Flanagan Photo: ©INPHO/Bryan Keane
Wexford jockey and qualified pilot Sean Flanagan, from not far from the Carlow border in Palace East, says that Willie Mullins sets a very but that one day one of the up and coming trainers will match his achievements.
A trained pilot, he says flying commercial jets for Ryanair boss Michael O’Leary would be a dream job,
It would be good. At least he’d [O’Leary] be giving me some sort of a job!
It’s definitely an option. I always said the only way I could find the time at the moment is if I have an injury that keeps me out for a while. That is very possible in our game.
If it did happen, I’d be straight on studying for the commercial exams. There are 14 written exams I’d have to take and 250 hours and a lot of SIM instrument training. I already have about 400 hours of solo flying.
It really appeals to me - it would be the dream job. Flying for Ryanair would be the ultimate. Imagine Captain Flanagan! If anyone I knew heard me welcome them aboard, they’d turn round and jump off quick enough.
The Festivals in Ireland are gaining real traction. But the smaller midweek fixtures are better attended in England than in Ireland. I flew to Nottingham last year with a couple of the lads and I was amazed how many people were there.
We have a very good type of horse here in Ireland.
The cost to travel to Cheltenham is really high now. That is having an impact. For a couple of days and a hotel you could fly to Australia for the same price.
I hope Ireland doesn’t fall into the same trap.
I don’t believe the prize money in the UK is as bad as some people think. There are a lot of very valuable handicaps.
Where they fall down is the value of a Grade 1. It should be worth much more than it is. There are a lot of £100,000 handicap hurdles and a Grade 1 worth £50,000. It doesn’t make sense.
A Grade 1 should be £100,000 and the handicap a bit less. We are very lucky with the prize money in Ireland and the top owners.
If you are on a good horse, it’s the best track in the world. You can travel and jump. It’s a fine big galloping track.
It’s stiff enough from the third last to the line, it takes some getting. It looks flat from the stands, but if you go down to the second last hurdle and look up towards the winning post, you are a long way below it. It’s a gradual climb all the way to the finish.
It is a very fair track and you won’t get hemmed in. Things can get a bit messy though in say the two mile handicap hurdle at Christmas when there’s 25 runners!
I’ve been over to England a lot more in recent years. The tracks are phenomenal. They are fine big galloping tracks, and the fences come at you so quick. There’s so much jumping in it.
Over here, there might be a little bit less jumping, but a bit more in the jumping, as the fences are a little bit bigger and more solid.
Competition is always healthy. Willie is the bar that everyone has to aim at. If you can get to it, fair play to you. The horses Willie buys are all bought at public auction so if you have the purse you can buy them too.
I’ve been lucky enough to have three rides for Willie and won on two of them. One of them was on a horse called Bachasson who won a good race at Cork last year. I thought great but he wasn’t there, he was in Dublin.
I waited until the evening to call him. Before I did, I looked up the results and he had eight at the one meeting in Dublin. I doubt he even knew who I was when I rang him!!
Yes, the other trainers are all building. They will reach Willie’s level someday - Willie made it. Records are made to be broken and one of them will do that along the way. It’s the natural cycle of sport. Things are more open now in terms of how people do things and you can pick up things along the way.
I absolutely do not want to be a trainer one day. I don’t think I could enjoy everything that comes with the job and the pressures.
"Flanagan was speaking to BoyleSports, who will be offering the best Leopardstown Christmas Festival odds later this month
