ROBERT POWER (PUPPY POWER) Age: 31 From: Co Meath Prior to becoming one of the top National Hunt jockeys in Ireland, Robbie Power was a very promising show jumper, who won a silver medal at the European Young Rider Championships. His father, Captain Con Power was a member of the Irish team that dominated the Aga Khan Cup in the late ‘70s and rode the legendary stallion Rockbarton. Power senior left the Irish Defence Forces and show jumping to become a racehorse trainer, so his offspring had all the angles covered. Robbie plumped for racing while his sister, Elizabeth is one of Ireland’s most successful eventing riders and it was on her horse, Doonaveeragh O One that he returned to his roots to finish third in the Eventer’s Grand Prix at Hickstead last year. That was fun though. Racing is business although when his boss, Jessica Harrington feels a horse needs something different to help it rediscover its enthusiasm, she invariably gets Power to take it hunting. And on behalf of his sister, he is always on the lookout for an ex-racehourse that might have a future in the eventing world. He was 20 when he returned to racing and rode his first winner on his mother’s mare, Younevertoldme at Punchestown. He worked at Willie Mullins’ yard for a while before getting a job with the Closutton maestro’s equally legendary father, Paddy. Two months after his first winner, he notched up his first success as a conditional jockey for his new boss on Bob What in a valuable Leopardstown handicap. He struck up a relationship with Jessica Harrington the following season and she provided him with a cluster of winners in top races such as the Midlands Grand National at Uttoxeter (Intelligent), the Munster National (Colca Canyon) and the Dr PJ Moriarty Novice Chase (Carrigeen Victor). Power rode Nearly A Moose to win the Galway Plate for Mullins Senior in 2003 and was champion conditional jockey at the end of the 2003/2004 season. Unfortunately though, a broken foot caused him to miss the ride on Newmill when he won the Queen Mother Champion Chase in 2006. The fates decreed that it was his turn to step in when an injured Jason Maguire couldn’t take the mount of Silver Birch in the Aintree Grand National 13 months later and Power showed all his strength in getting Gordon Elliot’s charge home to a famous victory. Since then, his fortunes have continued to improve, becoming Harrington’s retained rider while also picking up plum spares on the likes of Grade 1 specialist, Big Zeb. Most recently, he has been associated with the likes of Bostons Angel, Oscars Well and Steps To Freedom, with the former giving him his first Cheltenham festival success in the 2011 RSA Chase. They return for a crack at the cross-country chase this March. Power rode another Harrington stable-star, Jezki to a bloodless victory in the Paddy Power Future Champions Novice Hurdle at Leopardstown over Christmas and he could represent another opportunity for success in the Cotswolds. .