As stable jockey to County Durham trainer Howard Johnson, Denis O'Regan has enjoyed a topsyturvy campaign. But as Chief Sports Writer Scott Wilson discovered when he spoke to the Irishman this week, today's Grand National could ensure he finishes the season in style

IN late January, trainer Howard Johnson banned his stable jockey, Denis O'Regan, from going on a skiing holiday with his weighing room colleague, Paul Carberry.

"It's too risky," argued Johnson. "He'd end up breaking his leg and his neck." The trainer's concern was understandable, but it was also too late. A fortnight earlier, O'Regan had already come down to earth with a bump.

Having been appointed as Johnson's retained rider the previous September, O'Regan, who left his native Ireland to take up residence at White Lea Farm, near Crook, was chasing his 43rd winner of a hugely successful campaign when he partnered 5-2 shot Harringay in a beginners' chase at Fakenham on January 14.

Things appeared to have gone to plan when he eased the Henrietta Knight-trained novice past the strongly-fancied Cathedral Rock after the 11th fence and pulled clear on the run-in to the winning post. The only problem, was that there was still one lap to go.

"It was a silly mistake," said O'Regan, who was verbally abused by angry punters as he made his way back to the weighing room after the race. "I took a fair bit of flak on the day and I suppose some of that was deserved.

"But I was crucified for ages afterwards and I think some of that went way too far. Who hasn't made a mistake? Who hasn't done something that they immediately wished they hadn't?

"I tried not to let it bother me, but it was tough for a while. I missed some really good rides (he was banned for 14 days because of his error) and parts of the racing press really went to town on me.

"But what are you going to do, tear yourself up? After it happened, I looked at the record of some of the jockeys who'd done the same thing, and I knew I'd move on."

O'Regan's resilience was never questioned by those who had seen him shrug off a number of crashing falls in Ireland to carve out a formidable reputation under first Francis Flood and then Noel Meade.

Johnson's support never wavered either - "It won't affect the way he rides" was about all the notoriously taciturn trainer would say on the matter - but there were plenty who were lining up to question the 26-year-old's ability to cope with the pressure of life at the very highest level. Suffice to say you won't find too many people in that queue any more.

In the space of three days at last month's Cheltenham Festival, O'Regan partnered Tidal Bay to victory in the Irish Independent Arkle Challenge Trophy and steered Inglis Drever to a record-breaking third World Hurdle win.

The successes could hardly have been more different - Tidal Bay demolished a high-class field with a display of flawless jumping, while Inglis Drever drew on every ounce of his stamina to edge out Kasbah Bliss in a photo finish. But their cumulative effect was to re-establish O'Regan's standing as one of the foremost jockeys in the land.

"I suppose you could say Cheltenham came at the perfect time for me," he admitted. "I'd been flying before my ban, but I guess I needed something to get me going again and Cheltenham did that.

"It was phenomenal. Even with everything that's happened, the fact that I've had more than 80 winners in England and Ireland means this would always have gone down as a good season for me. But to get two winners at Cheltenham makes it even more special.

"If you're into horses as a young boy in Ireland, you quickly learn what Cheltenham means. The fact I can say I've won there is something I'll always cherish."

Born in Youghal, a seaside town on the 'Irish Riveria', between Cork and Waterford, O'Regan's first equine experiences came in pony racing and drag hunting, and he had already earned a reputation as a skilled horseman when he finished sixth on his first racecourse ride in a Cork bumper in April 2001.

Even at that stage, his ambitions were clear. Earn a full-time riding position. Done. Be successful enough to gain a move to England. Done. Win a race at the Cheltenham Festival. Done. And then the big one. Win the Grand National. Not done, but possibly pending.

"The Grand National isn't a race, it's the race," said O'Regan, whose only previous experience of England's most famous steeplechase ended prematurely last year when Ballycassidy unseated him at the 24th fence. "Whether you're growing up in England or Ireland, everything seems to stop when the National's on.

"I can remember watching the race as a young boy with my family and it was the only thing that mattered for the whole of the afternoon.

"It's still the one race that everybody remembers. If you were lucky enough to win a National, it would be with you for the rest of your life.

"I've had a fantastic couple of years with some big wins in big races, but I'd swap 100 other winners for one in the National."

If the form book is anything to go by, that win could arrive this afternoon. O'Regan will be aboard the Johnson-trained Bewleys Berry, and the 14-1 shot is joint fifth-favourite in most ante-post lists.

Bewleys Berry was prominen when he fell at Becher's Brook second time around in last year's National, and the ten-year-old confirmed his liking for the Aintree fences when he was second to Mr Pointment in last November's Becher Chase.

A disappointing performance at Haydock last time out blotted his copybook, but his connections will return him to Liverpool anticipating a strong run.

"He's a talented horse with a lovely racing weight," said O'Regan. "I don't think any of us are 100 per cent sure he'll get the trip, but the ground looks like it should be okay for him.

"The National's always going to be a bit of a lottery, but it's not the same kind of race it once was. It's much more of a top-class handicap these days, and the better horses have a much better chance of coming to the fore. Bewleys Berry is one of the classier horses in the field, but he'll still need a bit of luck if he's going to win it.