Nina is no weak link in the Carberry clan

Jockeys & Trainers / Wayne Bailey / 13 December 2007 / Leave a Comment

Wayne Bailey profiles one of his country's top jockeys - Nina Carberry

For Irish racing fans it seems like she's been around forever, but Nina Carberry only rode her first winner in 2001 on board Noel Meade's Sabrinsky at the Curragh.

The name Carberry has become synonymous with Irish racing...
Nina's father Tommy became a household in the emerald isle because of his determination, courage, and sheer skill behind the reins. Of course, her brothers Paul and Philip have already made big names for themselves, enjoying considerable success in Ireland and the UK.

Not to be outshined however, Nina has carved out her own niche in the sport of kings and is fast becoming a large thorn in the layers' sides.

In 2005, it seemed like all of Ireland was cheering for her, when she became the first woman to defeat the professionals at Cheltenham since 1987 with an emphatic victory on board Dabiroun.

We had confirmation, if needed, that a new girl was in town.

Nina has had nine winners in the UK (from 73 rides), including two at Cheltenham in the past few years, but most of her rides are confined to Ireland, and it's on this home turf, that she really shines:

Nina's Courses
While she performs considerably well at most venues, there are three tracks that Nina particularly excels at. Top of the list is Navan, with a 30 per cent strike rate in all races, and a profit level of £20.45 for every £100 bet to date. I've witnessed Nina in action at my own local racecourse (Leopardstown), where she shows a 25% strike rate and a very small profit to level stakes. Nina should also be noted when she rides at Thurles, where the backer can expect nearly one in four of her mounts to win.

Nina's Trainers
Even though she does a small amount of freelance work, the vast bulk of Nina's rides come from the Noel Meade stable. At the moment, Meade can't seem to do much wrong and tops the Irish national hunt trainer leaderboard with a 20 per cent strike rate, and a profit of £210.51 for every £100 bet so far this season. When Nina rides for Meade, she has a win rate of one in four, and she simply must be backed when riding for him in bumper races (also knows as national hunt flat races). Her strike rate here is 28%, and she shows a small but tidy profit to go along with that.

2007 and beyond...
Nina suffered an injury in recent months but thankfully, she's been back in the thick of action lately. While always noted for her bumpers, 2007 has proved a good year so far over hurdles. She won five out of 16 (31%) and shows a very healthy profit in such races since the season kicked in. Like all of her siblings, Nina Carberry is ambitious, skilful, and willing to take risks... and fortunately, there's still some value in some of her rides.

Not everyone is convinced however.

The racing scene has, and probably always will be dominated by men, who often shy away from backing a female jockey in a National Hunt race. This is where we step in, and exploit such long-held prejudices.

A quick look through Nina's stats immediately smash the misconception that women can't do well at top-level NH racing, and if her past record is anything to go by, Nina should cause plenty of concern for the layers in the future.

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