'I know they'd have got a great kick out of me winning the Derby - they were my first thought passing the line'
Deputy Ireland editor David Jennings catches up with Derby-winning jockey Wayne Lordan following his famous success
It was the morning after the weekend before. Mid-May and Wayne Lordan had just ridden back-to-back trebles at Navan and Leopardstown – six winners in 48 hours is some going – so a WhatsApp message was sent his way seeking a chat. The plan was to home in on his hot streak, blow up his supersub status at Ballydoyle and basically make a front-page splash of the evergreen 43-year-old for Tuesday's newspaper. It was a win-win situation for both of us. Or so I thought.
Lordan politely declined, but seldom has somebody been stood up in such a courteous manner.
The reply read: "Hi David, thanks for your kind words, it was a super weekend. If you don’t mind I’ll pass on saying anything. You have always been good to me which I really appreciate and am always more than happy to talk after a horse wins, but otherwise these days I prefer just to stay in the background. It’s absolutely nothing personal or an issue with the Post, but I just prefer to keep out of the limelight. I hope you understand."
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Published on inThe Big Read
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