'I never lost faith' - apprentice relieved after riding first winner at the 60th attempt following seven second places

Jimmy Dalton has spoken of his relief after finally getting off the mark on his 60th ride after a string of close seconds, with the 17-year-old apprentice now hoping the win can catapult him on to greater success. 

Dalton is attached to the Andrew Slattery yard and it was for that outfit that he got his maiden victory when My Girl Sioux won the 5f handicap by a head at Navan on Sunday at odds of 6-1. 

It was probably fitting that the Fethard man’s win would come by such a tight margin as he had been a close second on My Girl Sioux a number of times in the past. 

“It's hard when you get so many seconds but it was great to win,” Dalton said. 

“The feeling was relief more than anything else, but I always thought the win was going to come eventually and I never lost faith."

Jimmy Dalton celebrates his first winnerCredit: Patrick McCann

Dalton started out with Slattery three years ago and has finished second seven times and third on four occasions since his first ride last August. Though his uncle was a jockey in the US, Dalton said his parents were divided over his career choice.

He said: "It was young Andrew [Slattery] who texted asking me if I would be interested in riding out at their yard about three years ago and it snowballed from there. 

“My uncle went to be a jockey in the US after he had been a work-rider at Ballydoyle and he and my dad brought me out hunting with ponies when I was younger. My father was always mad for me to be a jockey, but my mam had her doubts. For me it was always going to be horses from day one.

“I'm in a good yard at the moment where everybody is given their chances and the results speak for themselves.

“Hopefully this win starts to get things rolling for me, but at the same time you just have to wait and see how the cookie crumbles. My plan is to stay riding as many horses as I can and hopefully the winners will follow.”

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