Talented Malton jockey Ryan Sexton on riding out his claim and life in the saddle

Sexton’s victory on Stillington trainer Ruth Carr’s Bobby Joe Leg at Newcastle on January 8 took him past the 95 winners required to step up to the professional ranks.

The Malton-based rider is currently based with Norton’s Group One-winning trainer Julie Camacho and was delighted to achieve the feat.

“It was a great moment and something I have been looking forward to and the hard work starts now,” Sexton told The Yorkshire Post.

“It took long enough to get that last winner to ride out my claim – I think it was 32 rides or something like that – and since that happened I’ve come into a decent run of form, Julie’s are starting to run well so hopefully it continues.”

Sexton, 20, was then quickly off the mark as a professional, riding a double at Gosforth Park this week on Ewan Whillans’ Desert Quest and following it up on Dingle for Camacho.

She is his main trainer after he moved from Adrian Keatley’s neighbouring operation in the middle of last season.

He said: “I am usually in for 7am and ride four or five lots depending on what time I am going racing. If I’m not going racing I would call in at Jack Berry’s where I work to keep my weight down.”

Camacho and her husband and assistant Steve Brown were the trainers of last year’s Go Racing in Yorkshire’s (GRY) Yorkshire Horse of the Year, the brilliant triple Group One-winning Shaquille, who has now retired to stud.

Although the aforementioned Dingle was, like Shaquille, owned by Martin Hughes, the young Irishman never got to sit on the stable star’s back.

“I wasn’t allowed to ride him,” said Sexton with a smile. “He had a regular rider every day and I think if I had tried to get on him there would have been a few harsh words!

“At home he was the quietest horse up the gallop, there wasn’t a bother on him, probably one of the quietest horses in the yard, but obviously he came alive at the race track

“If you had never seen him run before and just seen him in the yard, you’d think he was an absolute dude – he didn’t have a care in the world.

“But that is the best way to be at home, keep them relaxed and out of harm’s way.

“Julie has plenty of other good horses and they have given me plenty of opportunities so hopefully, I can keep on producing.”

Sexton started out with County Kildare trainer, Peter Fahey where he immediately gained attention after riding a winner on his first ride under rules at Limerick as a 16-year-old.

His older brother Kevin is a National Hunt jockey over in Ireland and won the Champion Conditional title in 2013-14 while based at Gordon Elliott’s.

Teaming up with Fahey, Belfast Banter gave Kevin Sexton his first Cheltenham Festival winner in the County Hurdle in 2021 and the trio followed that up a few weeks later with their first Grade 1 success when winning the Betway Top Novices' Hurdle at the Aintree Festival in April 2121.

“Kevin decided one day he wanted to do it and I just took after him,” he explained.

“Peter is the one who taught me how to ride racehorses. I remember asking Peter for a full-time job working there but I think he got confused thinking I asked for an apprentice job but I’m happy that it went that way!

“The best bit of advice I ever got off Peter when I was starting out was there no point in trying to ride like anyone else, you have to ride how you feel it is right.

“Obviously, I looked up to the likes of Ryan Moore and when I came over here, Lewis Edmunds was a big help to me. He taught me an awful lot about track riding and sharpened me up a lot as well.”

Sexton came over to England in 2021 riding initially on the all-weather for two months and then switching to turf where he has gone from strength to strength.

He said: “I rode plenty of winners for Ruth (Carr) and she has been good to me. She has put me on a few decent horses. She had Badri who is now with Julie and I’ve made a good connection with that horse.”

In 2022, Sexton’s rapid improvement saw him named the GRY Apprentice of the Year after winning four of his ten qualifying rides to stroll to victory and boost his profile.

“Go Racing were very good to me they did a lot of media stuff and social media posts about me last year and that was very helpful for me to get my name out there.”

Keeping his name out there is the theme for 2024 as he hopes to maintain a good book of rides now he can no longer claim weight for his rides.

“Last year I had 40 winners and the year before 50, so if I can get anywhere near that I’d be delighted. It’s going to be my hardest year as I have got to maintain the contacts I have had without my claim, but hopefully I can have a good year,” he said.