Gavin seeking sponsorship ahead of new season

AS a new National Hunt racing season kicks into gear, Dunmanway jockey Gavin Sheehan is hopeful of securing sponsorship to help him to compete.

Based in Lambourn having moved to England as a 19-year-old, Sheehan racks up around 60,000 miles a year and securing backing to cover a car and transport costs would go a long way to allowing him to focus on the business of winning races.

In 2015, Sheehan piloted Cole Harden to victory at the World Hurdle in Cheltenham and he has finished in the top three in 127 of the 268 races in which he has entered, winning 48 times.

When he spoke to The Southern Star on Tuesday, Sheehan was getting ready to head to Warwick, where he had three rides lined up, having spent the morning riding out. While he is in a good situation in terms of regular work, sponsorship would help him further.

‘I’m quite lucky,’ he says, ‘I have six or seven different trainers who give me rides, I’d do a lot for Warren Greatrex, Jamie Snowden and Emma Lavelle. ‘It can be tough to keep them all happy, you’re busy riding out for two or three most mornings. When the racing kicks off then, you know you’ll be upsetting someone when you’re choosing one horse over another for a race.

‘They understand my situation too, though.’ 

Previously, Sheehan had a tie-in with Racing Plus, a weekend newspaper which unfortunately ceased publication at the start of this year. ‘The owner would have a box at Cheltenham or Ascot and I’d go in there and chat to people,’ he says.

‘I’m open to any opportunity really, if another publication or a bookies wanted me to compile a blog or anything like that.

‘Ideally, I’d be covering the cost of a car and diesel for all the travel but there would be a lot of exposure for any sponsors with the brand name on all of the gear, especially when I’m linked to so many different yards.’

Anybody wishing to get in contact with Gavin with regard to sponsorship can email [email protected]