Batterstown’s Dunne making a point
Joey Dunne has been dynamite in recent weeks. The 23-year-old from Batterstown, his family home a stone's throw from the Hatchett pub, celebrated his first ever treble at Durrow point-to-point last Sunday week and seven days later he was back among the winners at Oldcastle when scoring on Dennehys Cross, WRITES DAVID JENNINGS.
It was during Covid that Dunne shot to our attention. He rode his first winner at Fairyhouse in November 2020, steering the Gavin Cromwell-trained Delirious Love to success in a handicap hurdle. The following Easter he was back at the home of the Irish Grand National guiding Letsbeclearaboutit to victory in a red-hot bumper. He was a 7lb claiming teenager at the time but, if you didn't know, you could have mistaken him for a seasoned pro. He was cool as a cucumber on the 4-7 favourite and never panicked at any stage.
"I actually couldn't believe it when I got the call to ride Letsbeclearaboutit that day," Dunne recalled. "Patrick Mullins had ridden him to win his first two bumpers and I just presumed he would be riding him but thankfully Gavin [Cromwell] gave me the call. It was a nice surprise and he was a real good horse. Classy.
"To ride a winner at Fairyhouse's big meeting at Easter was massive for me. I remember going to the Irish Grand National every Easter Monday with my mother so I have lovely childhood memories of it. It's my local track and to ride a big winner like that was huge. I'll never forget it.
"It's just a pity it was during Covid and there was nobody there. The one thing that makes Fairyhouse so magic is the atmosphere. It's always buzzing at Easter and I've no doubt it will be the same next weekend."
Dunne is certainly no stranger to sitting on good horses. He would often ride out multiple Grade 1 winner Road To Respect when he worked for Noel Meade and he was lucky enough to sit on runaway 2019 Champion Hurdle Espoir D'Allen when he rode out for Cromwell.
Nowadays Dunne is mainly based with promising up-and-coming trainer Ian Donoghue, the older brother of Keith.
"I ride out for Ian three mornings a week," Dunne said. "I'm in with Andy Pierce one day, Peter Flood another and I could be anywhere on a Wednesday so it's busy enough. I enjoy it, though.”
Dunne is a natural horseman so it's no surprise to learn what his ultimate goal is.
"I'd love to train horses myself a few years down the line," he told me. "That would be the dream and hopefully I will get to achieve it some day."
This feature was brought to you by Fairyhouse and Navan racecourse.
Racing idols: Paul Carberry and Barry Geraghty
First winner: Delirious Love at Fairyhouse in 2020
Horse to follow: Royal Gladiator
Best horse he's sat on: Espoir D'allen or Road To Respect