US legend and ‘world-class’ rider John Velazquez heading for surprise first ride in Ireland on Wednesday

An Irish winner is one of the very few things absent from legendary US rider John Velazquez’s glittering CV but that could change at Naas on Wednesday when he gets the leg up on board the Dermot Weld-trained De Janeiro before some possible rides at the Curragh this weekend at the Irish Derby festival.

One of racing’s biggest global stars, the Puerto Rican-born Velazquez has partnered nearly 7,000 winners and enjoyed success at the Breeders’ Cup 20 times, landed six US Classics and has had four Royal Ascot winners. He was inducted into the Horse Racing Hall of Fame in 2012 and is North America’s all-time leading jockey in purse earnings.

Despite being a regular visitor to Britain, the 52-year-old has never ridden in Ireland but he and Weld teamed up successfully when the jockey steered home Zhukova in the Man o’ War Stakes at Belmont Park in 2017 and they link up again in the 6f Tinnakill House Maiden at 6.30 with the Newtown Anner Stud-owned De Janeiro.

Velazquez has sported the colours of the Regan family-owned stud before, having partnered the Johnny Murtagh-trained Clounmacon when he finished down the field in last year’s Sandringham Stakes at Ascot, while he also rode Laelaps for Jessica Harrington in the Britannia Stakes in 2019.

Explaining the reasoning behind his presence at Naas, Newtown Anner Stud racing manager PJ Colville said: “Johnny and Maurice Regan would be very good pals and they both live in New York. He’s on holidays here with his wife Leona. He has had a few rides at Royal Ascot for us before.”

Velazquez, who last rode at Belmont on Thursday, is in the market for some mounts across the three-day Irish Derby festival at the Curragh where Colville said he could carry the Newtown Anner silks again.

“It’s brilliant for Naas. Johnny is obviously a world-class rider but he’s a great guy and really good fun,” he said. “Hopefully he might get a ride or two on Derby weekend at the Curragh. I think he’s available. We won’t have too many runners but we have a couple of entries. We might be able to put him up on one of ours this weekend should they run.

“Hopefully his first ride here can be a winning one on De Janeiro. She ran well at Fairyhouse and Dermot is keen on her. She’s coming back in distance but you have to get the trip at Naas. She has a very good pedigree being by Invincible Spirit out of Rio Carnival and her dam is a half-sister to Kingman so it would be great if she could get her head in front.”

Naas general manager Aidan McGarry said: “We’re delighted to have a jockey of John Velazquez’s international standing riding at Naas. It is a fantastic opportunity for racegoers to see him in action. It’s a lovely card and he adds some extra star quality for sure.”

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