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The amazing Apple's Jade won 15 of her 25 starts and one of the main ingredients in her sensational career was groom Georgie Benson, writes David Jennings.

"Apple's Jade was an awesome mare, she was brilliant to be associated with and we had so many amazing days together," beamed Benson. "I was lucky enough to be involved with a lot of really good horses when I was with Gordon [Elliott] - the likes of Cause Of Causes who won a few times at Cheltenham, Farclas won a Triumph Hurdle and Mick Jazz was third in a Champion Hurdle."

Benson spent over a decade with Elliott and was a key cog in the Cullentra House machine.

"I think I was only 13 when I started riding out for Gordon," said the 25-year-old Dunshaughlin native. "I had so many brilliant years with him. He was the one who got me going. He got me started and I loved my time there."

Benson has proved to be a jack of all trades and a master of every one and she has recently left the Elliott team to pursue a hugely promising riding career, which has already seen her accumulate 23 winners between the track and point-to-points.

"I'm fully focussed on my riding now," she said. "I don't know a time when I wasn't around horses. It's been my whole life and I would love to make a good go of being a jockey.

"I think my earliest racing memory was watching Sea The Stars. I was very young when he was doing all his winning but I remember watching him at home and being in absolute awe of him. What a horse he was. He was the one who really got me interested in the game."

In the decade Benson spent with Elliott, she worked alongside champion jockeys like Davy Russell and Jack Kennedy but it was somebody else who made the biggest impression on her.

"Lisa O'Neill was my idol when I was in Gordon's," she explained. "She was going great for a few years when I was there and was really good to me. I owe her a lot."

Benson is now firmly focussed on the future and when asked for her ultimate goal, she replied: "I'd be lying to you if I said I didn't want to win the lady riders point-to-point title. That's my aim at the moment anyway.

"I try not to look too far ahead, but that would be my main goal. Things are going great right now and I'm really enjoying life. I'm just going to keep my head down, work hard and try to ride as many winners as possible."

That's a recipe for success if ever there was one.

Full list of fixtures for Navan Racecourse and Fairyhouse Racecourse are available, click on the name of the course you wish to check out.