Dane O’Neill calls time on career following injury battle

Nick Robson
March 28, 2024 3:19 pm

Veteran rider can call on some great memories from his days in the saddle.

Dane O’Neill has announced his retirement having failed to recover sufficiently from injuries suffered in a fall at Wolverhampton in July.

O’Neill, 48, had his first rides in 1992 and enjoyed a long association with Richard Hannon senior, before taking the job as stable jockey for Henry Candy until in 2012 he landed the role of second jockey to Sheikh Hamdan Al Maktoum behind Paul Hanagan.

He remained in that position when Jim Crowley replaced Hanagan in 2016 and while it meant he was often on the second string in big races, he has ridden many of the great horses that sported the famous blue and white Shadwell colours.

O’Neill won the inaugural Commonwealth Cup on Muhaarar, the September Stakes on Mostahdaf and guided Baaeed to his first two victories.

In the fall, O’Neill broke seven ribs and fractured his T6 vertebra.

“I’ve given it a good go but unfortunately it is just not healing. There’s quite a significant gap between the vertebra and there was damage to the other vertebra as well,” said O’Neill.

“It’s filled in a little bit, but not enough and it is mainly filled with scar tissue, so it wouldn’t take another impact.

“But on a positive note, because I broke seven ribs as well, once I healed and it stabilised, I’ve never really suffered any pain and I’m leading a normal life, so I’ve got to be thankful for that.

“I got 32 years out of it, so while it isn’t the way I wanted to end it, it’s a good chunk of time. I was watching some old races back the other day and there’s only John Egan still going now.

“The writing has been on the wall, I’m 48 so I wasn’t going to get another 10 years or anything, but 32 years has been a fair chunk of my life, so I’m thankful.

“I only had three jobs in all that time. I started out with Richard Hannon and I still ride for young Richard now. Henry Candy then made me his stable jockey and he was the first person to congratulate me after I won the Commonwealth Cup on Muhaarar, which was nice – especially as he was second with Limato!

“Then I moved on to Sheikh Hamdan and Sheikha Hissa, who was kind enough to leave things as they were, even when they downsized the operation and they probably didn’t need a second jockey. I was pleased to ride her three Grade Ones in Dubai.”

Muhaarar and Dane O'Neill in the Commonwealth Cup — Muhaarar and Dane O’Neill in the Commonwealth Cup (Steve Parsons/PA)

O’Neill rode his fair share of speedsters throughout his long career, the aforementioned Muhaarar, Candy’s Airwave and out in Dubai Danyah. But one stands out above all.

“I rode Battaash before he got a bit more sensible, I had the early pleasures of him!” joked O’Neill of Charlie Hills’ headstrong sprinter.

“He was exceptionally fast. I rode some fast horses but he was freakishly fast. In the early days, it was just a case of hang on and set him off in the right direction. Don’t fall out with him and you’ll win. He was different.

“Winning the first Commonwealth Cup on Muhaarar came at a nice point in my career for Shadwell and that day he came of age, it was nice to give something back to Shadwell and repay that faith. Unfortunately, I didn’t get back on him!

🏆 Group 1 success surely beckons for MOHAATHER, who blows the field apart in the Group 2 Summer Mile @Ascot under @oneill141 for @tregoningracing. 🚀 ⭐️ 🎥 @AtTheRaces pic.twitter.com/i3MyXLV3Dx
— SHADWELL (@Shadwell_EU) July 11, 2020

“I rode Mostahdaf before he hit the heady heights he went on to achieve but another horse I didn’t have a long association with was when Mohaather won the Summer Mile for Marcus (Tregoning).

“He was very good. He was probably the best I rode because when I rode Baaeed he was at a different stage of his career. That day I rode Mohaather, he was exceptional.

“He’d run at Royal Ascot when things didn’t work out, which shows how much luck you need. I went to ride him work and after it I thought the hardest part for me was to make sure Jim’s plans didn’t change and he went to Ascot! I remember ringing Angus Gold (racing manager) and saying he was an aeroplane.”

O’Neill has nothing in the pipeline as yet but expects to stay in the industry.

He said: “I don’t know what I’ll do next but I got my money’s worth out of it. Racing is all I know, there’s not many routes when you leave school at 16, but I’ll be involved in some capacity, I’d hope.”