Irish jockey David Egan admitted he's still "a bit in awe" after steering Eldar Eldarov to the Cazoo St Leger on Sunday in what was his first British Classic success.
The 23-year-old Kildare man delivered for trainer Roger Varian at Doncaster in a race delayed by 24 hours due to the death of Queen Elizabeth
He was back to work on Monday, but Egan said his feet had barely touched the ground since a sweet success in the Group One contest.
"I rode a very low grade horse around Kempton [today]. It brings me back to reality, as this game does more often than not," Egan told RTÉ 2fm's Game On.
"It's Roger's second St Leger win. I've been with him since I was 16. It's great to ride these horses but there's such a big team behind the scenes, I've grown up getting to know all of them. To be able to do it with them was just unbelievable.
"I'm still a bit in awe really."
In the immediate aftermath of his win Egan said his first thoughts were with Jack de Bromhead, who died in a pony racing accident over a week ago.
An emotional weekend ended with the high of a great win - and Egan said it was relatively plain sailing despite appearances.
"The race actually went pretty smoothly throughout. I was in the position I wanted to be, what I'd planned out in my head beforehand, following William Buick who I thought was the horse to beat.
"I was happy, but with regards to a bump early in the straight, I thought it would hinder me but it actually almost helped me. I thought I was struggling early in the straight and it took that bump to wake him up.
"It did break his momentum a little bit but I felt he came alive underneath me once he got a bump. He's just a horse that's got a tremendous attitude. He's a real fighter that's for sure."
Reflecting further on his triumph, Egan added: "The big winners is what it's all about - as is riding day to day, as I said I was at Kempton today.
"But the big days are what all us jockeys want to be riding at."
