Barry Geraghty – a big thank you

We look back at the illustrious career of Barry Geraghty, who has announced his retirement from the saddle

“A big thank you to my family, friends and everyone who has supported me over the last 24 years tonight I am happy to say I am announcing my retirement…. I’ve been blessed to have had a wonderful career and I’m looking to what the future holds.”

And there it was, an announcement on Twitter late on Saturday night, 11 July, and jump jockey Barry Geraghty, aged 40, called a halt to an impressive career that saw him win just about every major National Hunt race, and also become the second winningmost rider at the Cheltenham Festival.

He went out in style at this year’s Festival, chalking up five wins from 11 rides, taking his total to an amazing 43. His 2020 victories included a record-equaling fourth Champion Hurdle win and were all for owner JP McManus. He took over from AP McCoy as McManus’s retained rider in 2015.

He rode at least one winner at every Cheltenham Festival from 2002 onwards until this year, except in 2017 when he missed the Festival.

He was born on 16 September 1979, in Pellewstown, County Meath.

He rode his first winner in 1997, and there then followed a 23-year career which saw him win the 2003 Grand National on Monty’s Pass. That was after a five-winner haul at Cheltenham which included the Queen Mother Champion Chase on Moscow Flyer.

Two years later Geraghty and Moscow Flyer won their second Champion Chase, and Geraghty went on to win the Gold Cup on Kicking King, trained by Tom Taaffe

More Festival winners followed, including a three-timer in 2009 when he took the Champion Hurdle on Punjabi, the Arkle Challenge Trophy on Forpadydeplasterer and Triumph Hurdle on Zaynar.

Victory in the Champion Hurdle meant he became the first jockey to win the big four races at the Festival (Champion Hurdle, Champion Chase, Stayers Hurdle, Gold Cup), and the Grand National. As well as that National win, he was placed four times in the Aintree spectacular.

He clocked up his 1,000th winner under National Hunt Rules in Britain and Ireland when Duc De Regniere trained by Nicky Henderson won at Kempton in November 2009. In 2012 he rode his 1,000th winner in Ireland.

But, the most famous horses he partnered were Bobs Worth, Kicking King, Moscow Flyer and Sprinter Sacre. Together, they lit up the jumping scene.

 100+ big race wins

Ireland

• Alanna Homes Champion Novice Hurdle – (1) Jer’s Girl (2016)
• Arkle Novice Chase – (2) Bust Out (2003), Kicking King (2004)
• Champion Four Year Old Hurdle – (1) Grandouet (2011)
• Chanelle Pharma Novice Hurdle – (1) Bleu Et Rouge (2016)
• Christmas Hurdle – (2) Sacundai (2003), Emotional Moment (2004)
• Dr PJ Moriarty Novice Chase – (1) Pizzaro (2004)
• Drinmore Novice Chase – (2) Alexander Banquet (1999), Le Coudray (2003)
• Golden Cygnet Novice Hurdle – (3) Kazal (2007), Roberto Goldback (2009), Coole River (2010)
• Hatton’s Grace Hurdle – (1) Limestone Lad (2002)
• Herald Champion Novice Hurdle – (4) Moscow Flyer (2000), Clopf (2007), Jezki (2013), Don’t Touch It (2016)
• Irish Daily Mirror Novice Hurdle – (4) Bright Gas (2005), Got Attitude (2008), Rigour Back Bob (2010), Beat That (2014)
• Irish Gold Cup – (1) Alexander Banquet (2002)
• John Durkan Memorial Punchestown Chase – (2) Kicking King (2004), In Compliance (2006)
• Mares Novice Hurdle Championship Final – (2) Shirley Casper (2009), Jer’s Girl (2016)
• Morgiana Hurdle – (2) Cockney Lad (1997), Back In Front (2003)
• Neville Hotels Novice Chase – (1) Pizarro (2003)
• Punchestown Champion Chase – (2) Moscow Flyer (2004), Big Zeb (2011)
• Punchestown Champion Hurdle – (3) Moscow Flyer (2001), Macs Joy (2006), Punjabi (2008)
• Punchestown Gold Cup – (5) Moscow Express (2001), Florida Pearl (2002), Kicking King (2005), China Rock (2012), Carlingford Lough (2016)
• Racing Post Novice Chase – (2) Moscow Flyer (2001), Le Coudray (2002)
• Royal Bond Novice Hurdle – (1) Moscow Flyer (1999)
• Ryanair Gold Cup – (2) Rebel Fitz (2014), Kylemore Lough (2016)
• Ryanair Hurdle – (3) Moscow Flyer (2000), Liss A Paoraigh (2002),
• Ryanair Novice Chase – (4) Moscow Flyer (2002), Big Zeb (2008), Lucky William (2012), God’s Own (2014)
• Savills Chase – (1) Bobs Worth (2013)
• Slaney Novice Hurdle – (2) Canary Wharf (2002), Kazal (2007)
• Spring Juvenile Hurdle -(3) Personal Column (2008), Guitar Pete (2014), A Wave of the Sea (2020)

Great Britain

• Aintree Hurdle – (3) Oscar Whisky (2011,2012), Buveur d’Air (2017)
• Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle – (1) Bobs Worth (2011)
• Arkle Challenge Trophy – (4) Moscow Flyer (2002), Forpadydeplasterer (2009), Sprinter Sacre (2012), Simonsig (2013)
• Ascot Chase – (3) Monet’s Garden (2010), Riverside Theatre (2011, 2012)
• Ballymore Novices’ Hurdle – (1) Simonsig (2012)
• Betway Bowl – (1) Florida Pearl (2002)
• Celebration Chase – (2) Cenkos (2002,2004)
• Challow Novices’ Hurdle – (2) Champ (2019)
• Champion Bumper – (1) Cork All Star (2007)
• Champion Hurdle – (4) Punjabi (2009), Jezki (2014), Buveur d’Air (2018), Epatante (2020)
• Cheltenham Gold Cup – (2) Kicking King (2005), Bobs Worth (2013)
• Christmas Hurdle – (3) Yanworth (2016), Buveur d’Air (2017), Epatante (2019)
• Clarence House Chase – (2) Sprinter Sacre (2013), Defi Du Seuil (2020)
• Coral Cup – (3) Sky’s The Limit (2006), Spirit River (2010), Dame De Compagnie (2020)
• Fighting Fifth Hurdle – (3) Punjabi (2008), Buveur d’Air (2017, 2018)
• Henry VIII Novices’ Chase -(1) Captain Conan (2012)
• JLT Novices’ Chase – (1) Defi du Seuil (2019)
• King George VI Chase – (2) Kicking King (2004,2005)
• Liverpool Hurdle – (2) Iris’s Gift (2004), Whisper (2014)
• Long Walk Hurdle – (2) Punchestown (2008), Unowhatimeanharry (2016)
• Maghull Novices’ Chase – (2) Finian’s Rainbow (2011), Sprinter Sacre (2012)
• Manifesto Novices’ Chase – (2) Mad Max (2010), Captain Conan (2013)
• Melling Chase – (4) Moscow Flyer (2004, 2005), Finian’s Rainbow (2012), Sprinter Sacre (2013)
• Mersey Novices’ Hurdle – (2) Spirit Son (2011), Simonsig (2012)
• Mildmay Novices’ Chase – (2) Star de Mohaison (2006), Burton Port (2010)
• Queen Mother Champion Chase – (5) Moscow Flyer (2003, 2005), Big Zeb (2010), Finian’s Rainbow (2012), Sprinter Sacre (2013)
• RSA Insurance Novices’ Chase – (4) Star de Mohaison (2006), Bobs Worth (2012), O’Faolain’s Boy (2014), Champ (2020)
• Ryanair Chase – (1) Riverside Theatre (2012)
• Scilly Isles Novices’ Chase – (4) Punchestowns (2010), Captain Conan (2013), Oscar Whisky (2014), Defi Du Seuil (2019)
• Sefton Novices’ Hurdle – (3) Sackville (2000), Iris’s Gift (2003), Beat That (2014)
• Stayers’ Hurdle – (2) Iris’s Gift (2004), More Of That (2014)
• Tingle Creek Chase – (4) Moscow Flyer (2003, 2004), Sprinter Sacre (2012), Defi Du Seuil (2019)
• Tolworth Hurdle – (3) Minella Class (2011), Captain Conan (2012), L’ami Serge (2015)
• Top Novices’ Hurdle – (2) General Miller (2010), Josses Hill (2014)
• Triumph Hurdle – (5) Spectroscope (2003), Zaynar (2009), Soldatino (2010), Peace And Co (2015), Ivanovich Gorbatov (2016)

♦ The Ruby Walsh Fact File http://wp.me/p8e3Dl-1Wn