Queally planning repeat of glorious year in the saddle

For this Breeder's Cup success proved that Queally's time has come – and that this popular rider at Yorkshire's major Flat meetings is the name to follow in 2010.

His relationship with Henry Cecil – the ever popular former champion trainer now enjoying a glorious autumn to his career after a lean period in the wildnerness – was, in many respects, one of the highlights of the past year.

For, at the start of 2009, Tom Queally could not have dared to dream of the riches that lay ahead.

County Waterford-born and a star apprentice back in his homeland, where he was champion at the age of just 15, he came over to Britain in 2004 to join David Loder.

While it naturally took him time to get established, Queally, 25, now finds himself as the No 1 rider to Cecil in Newmarket and can look back on an incredible 12 months.

Admittedly, he is perhaps not yet up there with the likes of Frankie Dettori or Johnny Murtagh, but five Group One wins in a season takes some doing – after all, Mick Kinane only got six and that was with the assistance of a certain wonder horse by the name of Sea The Stars.

The Michael Bell-trained Art Connoisseur got the ball rolling for Queally when dashing home in the Golden Jubilee at Royal Ascot, while Jeremy Noseda's Fleeting Spirit made it a Group One sprint double in the July Cup at Newmarket.

Queally and Cecil were not finished. They won the Debenhams Frenchgate Conditions Stakes at Doncaster's prestigious St Leger meeting before landing the Champion Stakes at Newmarket.

It was a masterly bit of training; the one-time Derby favourite having been given a couple of confidence-boosters in lesser events like the Doncaster race.

Though they could only finish third in the Breeders Cup Classic, it was not a wasted trip to California – they never are – as Midday landed Cecil a first Breeders' Cup in the Filly and Mares Turf.

Having narrowly missed out on the Oaks back in June, this was an emotional success for Cecil, who has been afflicted by cancer in recent years. Given the quality of horses at his disposal in the past, it surprised many that he had never previously trained a winner on America's biggest stage.

Encouragingly, Midday, the Khalid Abdullah-owned daughter of increasingly-influential sire Oasis Dream, stays in training, and Queally is already looking forward to being reunited with her, together with one or two other fillies that have caught his eye on the racecourse.

"Midday will stay in training and we have some really nice two-year-olds on their way through," said the jockey who now rides at most of Yorkshire's major meetings thanks to Cecil's firepower.

"There are two fillies. Timepiece, a half-sister to Father Time and Passage Of Time. She has won a maiden and a Listed race at Newmarket.

"Kithonia is very well-bred and is nice as well. She won a maiden at Salisbury and is owned by the Niarchos family."

Newmarket Listed winner Timepiece is 16-1 co-favourite for the Oaks with Ladbrokes, who make the once-raced Kithonia, a daughter of Sadler's Wells, a 20-1 chance.

Queally, whose growing status was recognised with a recent invite to the International Jockeys' Challenge in Mauritius, added: "Henry Cecil obviously took a big chance giving me the opportunities and I'm very pleased with the way it has gone.

"There are lots of things to look forward to.

"The great thing about being in my position and the horses that I ride and who I ride for is you never know what's going to come.

"It's like Midday after the Oaks. Everyone said – and I thought it as well – that a golden opportunity was gone when she didn't win the Oaks. You never know what lies around the corner."

Queally, who carried Midday's colours to victory at Lingfield two weeks ago aboard Tranquil Tiger, went on: "I have always worked hard. That is what I think drives me on, because I am not afraid to work. I think hard work is always rewarded.

"You can't get too involved in your own achievements. I think Mick Kinane rode at least one Group One winner for the last 30 years or so. That is a hell of a career.

"Mick is one of my idols, just like Frankie or Lester Piggott. They have achieved everything. But it would be a mistake to become too ambitious. You still have to enjoy it. I'm doing a job I'd do for nothing basically and that is important."

It will be back to business soon at the Cecil yard as spring begins to loom and the big racing town comes to life once more.

In the meantime, he is staying fit by riding regularly on the

all-weather circuit.

But there will also be another high-profile foreign encounter to savour, with Twice Over being prepared for a trip to Dubai in March, where he could run in the World Cup at Meydan, the spectacular new venue which opens this month.

Queally explained: "Very quickly the two-year-olds will be doing more and I will be turning up more at Warren Place. Twice Over looks like he will be going to Dubai. He has two options there, so we shall see, but I would guess I could go there."

It is early days, but all the signs are the name TP Queally will be an increasing feature at the big races and meetings around the world.