Mick Kinane: 'Sea The Stars was a hell of a horse - he didn't get the credit'

What was your big break?

Funnily enough, my big break came as a result of Steve Cauthen attending his brother's wedding. As Steve was away, I picked up the winning ride on Alydaress for Sheikh Mohammed and Henry Cecil in the 1989 Irish Oaks. That seemed to be a catalyst for me developing an international career. I was already doing well but everything just seemed to pick up from there and it was definitely when things started to get big for me. It was the beginning of a huge couple of years, as I won the Arc and Irish Champion later that season on Carroll House and then the Belmont Stakes and King George the following year. Another reason for things taking off was I had been riding on Sundays in Italy. Plenty of the big British trainers were having runners there and saw me riding, which was helpful, as Irish jockeys didn't get many opportunities in Britain at the time. It was also because of my Italian connection that I ended up getting on Carroll House. Every jockey needs that element of luck.

Mick Kinane wins the 1989 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe aboard Carroll HouseCredit: Mark Cranham

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