Five-time Irish champion jockey Johnny Murtagh, who took out his trainer’s
“The training side of things is getting bigger all the time, and I wasn’t
Murtagh, who turns 44 this year, rode his first winner in 1987, and became
Murtagh, who has won all the Irish classics as well as the Two Thousand
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In 2008, he rode 19 Group 1 winners, followed by 10 in 2009. Amongst his
standout mounts during this time were four-time Group 1 winner and classic hero
Mastercraftsman; Duke of Marmalade, winner of five consecutive Group 1s in 2008;
transatlantic Group/Grade 1 winner and Eclipse champion Cape Blanco; three-time
Group 1-winning miler Henrythenavigator, and Sussex, Queen Elizabeth II and
Juddmonte International scorer Rip Van Winkle.
Murtagh was also aboard Yeats for the legendary stayer’s historic third and
fourth Gold Cup victories at Royal Ascot, and rode Rock of Gibraltar to seven
consecutive Group 1 victories in 2001-02. After resigning from the Coolmore post
in 2010, Murtagh went to work again for Oxx and The Aga Khan. He won the Prix de
Diane aboard Valyra in 2012, and also during that time period won the 2011 Epsom
Oaks aboard Dancing Rain.
After spending a few years working alongside trainer Tommy Carmody at Fox
Covert Stables at The Curragh, Murtagh was granted his trainer’s license last
year. He took over Fox Covert and experienced immediate success, winning a pair
of Group 3 races with former Irish St Leger victor Royal Diamond, and the
Blandford Stakes with Belle de Crecy, both of which he also rode.
Murtagh continued to perform with outstanding success as a jockey last year,
collecting five Group 1 victories: the King George VI & Queen Elizabeth with
Novellist, the King’s Stand aboard Sole Power, the Haydock Sprint Cup on Gordon
Lord Byron, the Irish Oaks aboard Chicquita and the Pretty Polly with
Ambivalent. He earned the leading rider title at Royal Ascot for the fifth time
last year.
Murtagh retires from the saddle with more than 100 Group 1 wins, including 25
classic victories in four countries and wins in all of Royal Ascot’s Group 1
races.
“I’ve done extremely well, and when you look at the list of horses I’ve
ridden, there have been some brilliant horses,” Murtagh said. “It would be
unfair to pick out one, but there were a number of special days. My first Derby
win aboard Sinndar was obviously a huge thing, and then Yeats was an incredible
horse to be associated with. I suppose winning on Sole Power in the King’s Stand
last year was massive for me as well. Just the way the race went and getting up
on the line — you know when you get it right. Riding and training Royal Diamond
to win on Champions Day last year at Ascot (in the Long Distance Cup). That was
something very special as well.
“I was very lucky to ride for some great people,” Murtagh continued. “I got
along with them all and still do. It’s been brilliant. When you are riding you
can take all the big winners for granted, but when you sit back and think about
it, I’ve been very lucky. I’m coming up 44 this year and my first Group 1 was on
Manntari for Mr. Oxx in 1993 (National Stakes at The Curragh). Someone texted me
earlier saying I had 105 Group 1 winners, but my wife thinks it’s 107.
“I’ve been all over the world riding, I’ve met some lovely people and it’s
been a great experience. I didn’t ride a horse until I was 15 and it’s been
fantastic, but it’s now time to move on to the next chapter in my life. We have
45 horses in training at the moment, including 20 two-year-olds and we have a
few new owners. I have the same expectations as when I was riding — the
standards are still the same. If we get a bit of luck and a good horse comes
along, we’ll get there.”
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