Nina Carberry reveals her Grand National story

Nina Carberry is firmly established as one of the best female jockeys horse racing has ever seen. She is so good that she is no longer judged by her sex. She is simply one of Ireland's premier pilots. The records have tumbled the years, each winner bringing a smile to the faces of her huge legion of followers, and a beaming one of Nina herself. The broadest grin ever was reserved for Fairyhouse on Easter Monday though, when she won the Irish Grand National on Organisedconfusion, who was trained by her uncle, Arthur Moore. It was a very popular success but a remarkable one too. Nina Carberry was only the second woman to have ridden the winner, and the first since Ann Ferris drove Bentom Boy to victory in 1984, but it was the addition of another chapter to the family's National story that made the headlines. Her father Tommy, and brothers Paul and Philip, had already ridden winners of the race, as had Moore. Tommy was also a former winning trainer, as was Moore's late father, the legendary Dan. Little wonder it meant so much. "Ted (my fiancé) ran over to congratulate me and Paul was there as well - he'd pulled up Backstage with a circuit to go but had stayed on the track," she commented. "Then Mam appeared with the phone next to her ear as we were walking in - it was Peter on the other end, he was on his way to a meeting in England somewhere and she wanted me to let him know I'd won! "Even my granny, who wouldn't normally go on a day like that because the crowds are usually a bit much for her, made the effort. "We'd had lunch when I was down there around two weeks previously and after hearing Arthur and myself talking about the horse she decided she wasn't going to miss it!" Carberry was speaking as part of an in-depth interview she conducted for the Irish Racing Yearbook 2012, which has just hit the stores. As well as her National story, Carberry discusses how she has had to learn to cope with fame, reveals her enduring ambition and looks forward to getting married next year. There are plenty more interviews, carried out by some of the industry's leading writers for the Irish Racing Yearbook 2012, with some spectacular photography supplementing the story-telling. You've got the record-breaking 13 wins for Irish-trained horses at the Cheltenham festival, Dermot Weld smashing his Galway festival record and Queen Elizabeth II's visit to the Irish National Stud. Also featured are the exploits of Aidan O'Brien, Tom Queally, Jessica Harrington, Paul Townend and Derek O'Connor, the incredible stories of Joanna Morgan and Vinnie Keane, and much more. Readers can win some valuable prizes in a Yearbook quiz and there are vouchers for discounted racecourse admission included. The Irish Racing Yearbook (€19.95/£17) is on sale now in all good newsagents and bookshops.