The future of National Hunt racing appears under threat.

Course closures, tracks almost certain to close and the misguided agenda of Animal Liberation Movement all threaten the stability of the sport.

Yet a significant statistic is that there are 25 per cent less NH jockeys than there were three years ago.

Whatever the reason for this, one young man based in Sussex is poised to take advantage of the situation, 22-year-old Colin Bolger.

Although Irish born and bred, Colin has shuttled regularly back and forth from the south coast to Ireland and is now much in demand as a claiming rider throughout the county.

"My prinicipal job is with Anna Newton-Smith," said Colin, "But she is very good at allowing me to ride work and schooling for trainers such as Luke Dace, Jamie Poulton and Dina Smith."

Born in Kildare, Colin decided at the age of 12 that racing would be his life. One of his uncles was a jockey and a cousin rode in point-to-points so that there was plenty of opportunity to get involved.

When Colin was 14, his father Peter got a job in Brighton and moved his family into the area.

"I spent two years at Cardinal Newman School where I did my GCSEs," said Colin. "At the same time I got to know the late Charlie Moore and becan riding out with him at Woodingdean. That was when I rode racehorses for the first tim."

Exams over, Colin, as light as a feather, was off to the apprentice school at Newmarket.

"After the nine week course I joined James Fanshawe's stable at Newmarket but I began to get heavy," he says, "I realised I would have to forget flat racing."

Fanshawe, principally a flat race trainer, although he did saddle Royal Gait to win the 1992 Champion Hurdle, gave Colin his first ride in a race over hurdles at Wetherby.

He added: "After this I went back to Ireland where I joined the trainer Ted Walsh. I wanted to go back because most of my friends were there and my family had returned home as well."

Although Colin, aged 18 by now, did not have a jockey's licence, he rode in more than a score of the schooling races held each Wednesday in the season at Fairyhouse and Punchestown.

"You don't need a licence to ride in those, they are framed for education of horse and rider with no fixed weights, no betting and no prize money, so no pressure either but very good experience."

There is far less racing in Ireland and after a couple of years Walsh encouraged Colin to find a regular job in the UK.

"Jamie Poulton, whom I knew from my schooldays, had been phoning up for me to join him and it was he who got me going as a jockey. I rode all his jumpers, and still do, and I school them all at home as well."

Jamie has more flat horses than jumpers so there followed a spell for next door neighbour Tom McGivern for whom Colin rode two winners last season. But Anna Newton-Smith, not far away at Jevington, had had her eye on the steadily improving conditional apprentice rider and offered him a job in mid-summer this year.

"I have been with Anna for two months now and things are working out well," says Colin. "I ride all her horses but have the freedom to ride out and school for other trainers as well. There are not many clashes because they are all yards with less than 20 horses."

Colin has totalled 19 winners in the two and a half seasons he has had a licence, seven of them at Plumpton which makes it his favourite course.

As a conditional jockey he claims a 5lb allowance off the allotted weight and is getting himself noticed outside the county boundary as well.

"Once a week I go to Albert Ennis who trains for Andrew Wates at Beare Green near Dorking and I hope to ride for him as well," revealed Colin.

Colin confesses that he prefers riding over fences to hurdles and he is just dying to have a ride over the Grand National course at Aintree. "That is just a dream at the moment, but I have a couple of rides at Cheltenham this weekend so I feel I am making progress in the right direction."

He will be happy if he can double last season's score of nine winners. "Twenty would be a good round figure but I want to do as well as I possibly can and shan't stop at that if I can do better."

While Colin studies all the top jockeys, he specially admires Leighton Aspell who rides for Josh Gifford.

"He is a brilliant horseman with a lovely style all of his own," said Colin. "Leighton is especially good with novices over fences and I have learnt a lot from watching him."

Mattie Batchelor, a graduate from the Charlie and Gary Moore school, has also helped Colin along the way. "Apart from being a good mate, Mattie has pointed out the peculiarities of so many racecourses so that when I visit them for the first time I feel I know them already, he is a great support."

Colin has ridden for Gary Moore only once. "It was a Bank Holiday and I rode Merseybeat for him at Huntingdon," said Colin. "Unfortunately at a late stage the saddle broke and slipped back and I fell off. I would have won, but as it was I was knocked out for ten minutes and stood down for a fortnight."

In spite of that, Colin rates Gary along with his dad Peter in Ireland, his best critic. "Gary doesn't say well done if I have a winner, but much more important he tells me if he's seen me doing something wrong and makes suggestions to improve my riding. That's the sort of criticism you need and I value it."

Colin Bolger is the right age and the right weight. He is bright and determined and is a jockey to watch.