An Irish jockey will swap the saddle for the stage as he set to show off his vocals on The Voice Australia.
Robbie Dolan, from Kildare town, is the grandson of Peadar Matthews, who won two Irish Classics in the 1960s; both parents, Bobby and Paula, also rode and brother Barry is a trainer in the US.
Dolan left Ireland at the end of 2016 for Australia, where he worked for trainer Mark Newnham in Sydney – but now he’s hoping for a singing career instead.
The 26-year-old is set to appear on The Voice Australia, in front of a panel of judges including Rita Ora and Keith Urban, after Easter on Channel 7.
Born to a racing family in Ireland and a recent two-time Group 1 winner in Australia, Robbie Dolan is set to share another of his talents with the racing world. According to the Thoroughbred Racing Commentary, the 26-year-old Dolan will appear on The Voice Australia when it airs after Easter.
“It's pretty exciting – it feels like a dream at this stage,” Dolan told Thoroughbred Racing Commentary.
“Racing took over my life but just recently I’ve started to learn guitar and try to do a few gigs. It’s a step away from racing. I’d love to get into it but it’s hard to have two lives and racing is everything at the moment.
“They are very different worlds but once I got the opportunity to perform on The Voice I was like, ‘Why not, what have I got to lose?’”
Opening up about his decision to leave Ireland back in 2016, he said his apprenticeship as a work rider stalled.
“I was riding in Ireland with little effect. I needed a change to continue improving. I was getting one ride here, one there, and not getting a lot of experience.
“I was going to go to America. My brother is a trainer there and that was always appetising to me but it was difficult to get a visa and I couldn’t afford it. Australia had always been in the back of my mind and I was able to get a job riding out.
“I basically came over with nothing. I had no money, I had a school bag on my back. I just wanted to give it a go.”
Eventually settling in Sydney, Dolan joined the stable of Mark Newnham and over the 2017-18 campaign rode 93 winners, capturing both the New South Wales metropolitan and provincial apprentice championships.
He has now ridden 233 winners altogether, 19 during the current campaign including two at G1 level, the latest on Shelby Sixtysix, part of a double at Rosehill.
And things are set to get even busier for Dolan as he also revealed his girlfriend Christine Duffy is pregnant and due in July. The couple have also bought a house together.
“Things are going well,” he said.
“Things went really well as an apprentice. I won back-to-back champion apprentice titles and that was unreal. The first year I came out of my time was very difficult. It’s still pretty difficult but I’ve won plenty of group races and two G1s this season.
“Even if I never got as far as riding winners, As soon as I got to Australia I had no regrets about my decision. I am a permanent resident now, my girlfriend is having a baby in July and I’ve bought a house.
“I’m riding out wherever I can and riding for lots of different stables. Hopefully the Galaxy win showed people that I can ride light still. In these big G1 handicaps that are coming up like the Doncaster and the Sydney Cup, there are a lot of light weights so hopefully I can put my hand up for that.”
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