'A terrific horse to ride at a crucial time in my career'

Osterhase was trained by a great character and friend of my dad Frank, the late John Mulhern. He had a great personality and to even ride work for him was always very entertaining, while the horse was one of the leading sprinters in Ireland.

I got on him probably through Mick Kinane not being available one day and we won quite a decent handicap in 2003. I then rode him for the next six seasons as he gradually progressed from being an ordinary handicapper to winning premier handicaps off big weights.

He won the Rockingham Handicap at the Curragh twice giving away loads of weight and broke the track record in a Listed race at the track on Derby day in 2004; he was electric that day.