Conor Maxwell recorded his first winner as a trainer on Wednesday evening at the Kilkenny track Gowran Park, with “Play It Again Zaam”. The Stamullen handler who operates in training and pre – training horses at his home based yard Broadleas Stables in his native County Meath.

The four year old gelding “Play It Again Zaam” closely tracked the leaders, moving into fifth position halfway, and with a furlong and a half to run the Elzaam gelding challenged his rivals, but was far to strong for the rest of the field under Robert Whearty who kicked well clear to win by an impressive seven lengths, with Kodiac Prince finishing second. 

With it being the last race on the card and the sun still shining over Gowran Park for the “Save 33% Buying Tickets Online Handicap” Play It Again Zaam was led back into the winners enclosure by groom Ivan Ryan who plays a big part at Broadleas Stables with riding out for Maxwell when he isn’t attending college, and also holds an amateur licence and produces show horses during the summer, having valuable staff like Ivan is a huge bonus  riding out for Maxwell.  Ivan who is a twin to inform apprentice at the moment James Ryan who also rides out for the Maxwell yard, along with the winning jockey that evening Robert Whearty.

Play It Again Zaam’s owner Ray O’ Brien Racing Syndicate was present at the races also, and I couldn’t help but see the happiness on Ray O’ Brien’s  face as it was his first winner as an owner. I spoke to Ray shortly after his winning horse returned back into the number one spot. His face just said it all, as he told me “I just can’t believe it, I am just over the moon, I really am. Within 24 hours of his first winner on the track as an owner Ray ended up back in the winners enclosure the following day at Gowran Park once again, where Cage Rattler won under Adam Caffrey for trainer John Kinsella. It certainly will not be forgotten about any time soon, and two days in racing that the Ray O’ Brien Racing Syndicate will always remember and cherish.

I interviewed Conor after the race, I asked him how does it feel to train your first winner? Maxwell said, it’s a nice thrill, and its different compared to riding winners on the track, and its nice to have my first winner as a trainer and get the monkey off my back. Conor who many people know for riding as a jumps and flat jockey. Maxwell is a graduate from RACE in Kildare and was sent out to Dessie Hughes’ yard on the Curragh to learn his trade as a conditional jockey. His first winner as a jockey came on Grangeclare Lark at Cork Racecourse back in November 2006. Since his first winner back in 2006 Conor rode some big winners as a jump jockey including Vics Canvas in the Cork Grand National in 2014, and finished third on the same horse two years later in The Aintree Grand National.

Maxwell recorded the biggest win of his career back in February 2020 at the Dublin Racing Festival onboard the Paul Gilligan trained horse Glamorgan Duke in the Gaelic Plant Hire Handicap Chase at Leopardstown, and a few weeks later he partnered with the Dermot McLoughlin trained Captain Cj  to land the Grade 2 Ten Up Novice Chase at Navan. Conor still rides as a professional flat jockey, and just two days before training his first winner on the track decided to announce he was stepping away from the saddle as a jump jockey.

After riding 108 winners over jumps, Conor is now focusing on his Broadleas Stables where he has nineteen horses in at the moment, and seven of those horses are in training. Conor is putting in his own gallop now at the moment which will be a woodchip surface, and is expanding his yard as well as time goes by.

In my opinion Maxwell has bundles of experience in racing from riding as a jumps and flat jockey, and last Wednesday showed that he can surely train them as well with the first winner of his training career Play It Again Zaam winning by an impressive seven lengths, and I am sure Conor Maxwell is a name that Irish Racing fans will see much more of in the winners enclosure over the coming years.