Day in the Life - Jane Mangan, racing broadcaster

Jane Mangan from Cork works extensively in the media, and she is the perfect 'Day in the Life' for the week that's in it. 

Jane covers all the RTÉ racing days and fits in Racing TV around her RTÉ schedule. She also works on Game On every Friday for 2FM and if there is a comment needed, you won't find a better woman.

Jane was born with horse racing in her blood. When your grandfather is Paddy Mangan and you are a daughter of Jimmy Mangan, it sort of comes with the territory. She enjoyed a successful career as a jockey before RTÉ picked up on her talent and made her their newest and youngest racing pundit. 

Jane Mangan winning at the Punchestown Festival in 2014 on board Timing’severything

During her racing days, she studied business and marketing in Cork Institute of Technology for four years. She is a self-proclaimed chocolate addict and tea critic, even bringing her beloved Barry’s tea with her when she travels. Here is a glimpse into Jane’s world…

You are a breaking voice on our airwaves and not afraid to voice your opinion with your punditry and hold your own with the lads.

I do laugh at that. Ninety nine percent of people say that to me as if that’s my niche. I think pundits do that all the time, but it’s because I am a younger girl, probably standing against older men that it’s seen as this powerful thing.  It's actually not, it's just me doing my job.

Jane Mangan with Martin Dixon & Nick Luck of Racing TV for last year’s Epsom Derby

You are not a fan of a day off, even with your hectic TV schedule.

The schedule is unpredictable and it’s probably the same for anybody who works in hospitality and entertainment.  I work most weekends and all the bank holidays, so it's also quiet unsociable!

However, when I am free and off on a Monday or a Wednesday, I get this awful feeling of redundancy and ask myself why I am not working, and my brain hasn’t processed that I haven’t had a day off in a month. When nobody else is off mid-week you can’t feel like it’s a day off!

I try to keep a nine to five routine on the days I am not racing. I am a creature that needs a routine, even when I’m off work for the day. You’ll never catch me lying on the couch, watching a movie in the middle of the day.

Winning the Champion Bumper on “The Liquidator” at Punchestown in 2013

Horse racing wasn’t always on the cards for you. You thought the road ahead was college and a job?

It’s a kind of a societal norm in how we are raised. As a child I was always told my older brother, who is tall, was going to be a farmer because he was too big to be a jockey.

My other brother is small like me, so he was going to be a jockey and as the girl in the family I was to go to college.

The plan was that I was to get an education and get a ‘proper’ job. To this day, nobody has been able to define to me what a ‘proper’ job is, maybe it's one where you get weekends off! I did buy into this mentality and subscribed to it, because it was all I was hearing as a young kid.

However, then I started riding out at home, with my Mum and my brother. I loved it and I was good enough at it too. I couldn’t find any reason why I wouldn’t be good at it, because I also saw my Mum riding out every day. But riding competitively was never an option for me as that’s what I was told all my childhood.

However, my Mum told me that she would support me if I wanted to race and that we mightn’t tell Dad for a while!

I won on my first ride on Jamie’s Darling in 2011. Dad saw for himself that I wasn’t terrible and quickly adapted to the supportive parent role. He subscribed then and the rest is history because I had six good years in the saddle of a pretty good level of success.

Jane Mangan reporting for RTÉ in the Parade Ring of Fairyhouse 

After those six years, RTÉ came knocking?

Ultimately it goes back to that saying – what’s for you, won’t go by you. Everything that happened, helped me to get to the broadcasting profession.

All the interviews I did, all the connections I made from trainers to jockeys, the understanding of the inner workings of the engine room, the weighing room, and the racecourses. Also, I knew how hard the stable staff work because I was one of them.

All these things helped me get to where I am today. It all started when RTÉ radio heard me doing an interview with Tracy Piggott and they asked me to come on the radio. I was good on the radio and with that I got a chance to go onto the television and that worked out.

You had a stronger amateur record than Rachel Blackmore, so why did you stop racing?

It was never the intention to make a living from race riding. I enjoyed it, that was my cycling or my swimming, or whatever people do when they are not sitting in a lecture hall or working in their local shop. Racing was my thing.

Yes, I earned some money off it, but I wasn’t earning a living. I have been asked before if I could have been the next Rachel Blackmore. Absolutely not because I never loved it enough to break my bones and I wasn’t willing to give my body to it.

So, when you are interviewing Rachel now, do you miss those racing days?

No, but I tell you what I do love is that I can stay within the circle and keep my connections with the friends that I have made. I’m still going racing, I’m just not on the horse.

I will admit, I did feel the disconnect of the first year of not racing until the broadcasting took off. It’s similar to the feeling of being redundant. For example, it's like Brian Cody going to an All-Ireland final now and having lunch in the corporate box, when really, he wants to be on the side of the pitch in the heart of the game.

Your father won the Grand National with Monty’s Pass. Do you have any aspirations yourself to train and follow in his footsteps?

Not in the slightest. I love horses and I always liked having horses around, but I find it hard to get the best out of myself, never mind trying to get the best out of horses!

What’s the race that gave you goosebumps, i.e. the race of all races?

I was broadcasting at Cheltenham when A Plus Tard ridden by Rachel Blackmore won the Gold Cup last year. That was one of those moments that I thought, jeez it’s great to be here and to be witnessing this in person.

Another memorable race was when Constitution Hill won the Champion Hurdle at Cheltenham. I stood at the final hurdle, within touching distance. Half an hour later Honeysuckle jumped the final hurdle and brought the curtain down on her fabulous career in the best way possible. I had the best seat in the world for those two races.

Honeysuckle carried us through Covid. She was the winning machine for Ireland, especially when nobody could go racing and we all needed a lift. There was no GAA or team sport, so racing was the only sport in town. The country latched on because that mare was our beacon of light. Every sport needs a star, and she was ours.

Parade Ring of Fairyhouse wearing Connollys RED MILLS

You represent Kilkenny’s Red Mill clothing when broadcasting. You are a great ambassador for them.

I am so grateful to Connolly’s Red Mills as they came on board before I had any contract and before I was on RTÉ. I will be forever grateful to them for reaching out to me because a girl has the added pressure and expectation of how you will appear.

They are so great to work with. Firstly, for the fact that they have a great clothing range and secondly, I just tell them what I have coming up and they know my style. It’s a job I don’t have to worry about and it’s a load off my mind.

Their clothes reflect me, I’m not a girly girl but I like elegance. It's very race appropriate and I’m outdoors in all weathers, so I don’t want to be cold or uncomfortable. Instead, I can just get on with my job.

The Aintree Grand National was delayed last weekend due to animal rights protestors. What did you make of the protests?

I watched it all unfold from my home in Conna, some frightened scenes. I have no issue with peaceful protests because everyone is entitled to their beliefs but what happened at Aintree was wrong and had a detrimental impact on a number of the horses and jockeys.

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