Denis O’Regan calls time on historic career

PA Sport Reporters
November 18, 2023 12:57 pm

He recently became the first jockey to ride a winner at every National Hunt track in the UK and Ireland.

Denis O’Regan, who recently completed the full set of riding a winner at all UK and Irish National Hunt tracks, announced his retirement at Navan on Saturday.

A multiple Grade One-winning rider, he perhaps will be best remembered for his successful if relatively brief link-up with trainer Howard Johnson and owner Graham Wylie in the north of England.

During their association, O’Regan won the 2008 World (now Stayers’) Hurdle on Inglis Drever and in the same week landed the Arkle on Tidal Bay.

He won a Becher Chase at Aintree on the Dessie Hughes-trained Black Apalachi, who went on to be second to Don’t Push It in the 2010 Grand National won by Tony McCoy.

Denis O'Regan with Inglis Drever — Denis O’Regan with Inglis Drever (David Davies/PA)

Cape Tribulation won at both the Cheltenham and Aintree Festivals in 2012 for O’Regan and Malcolm Jefferson, and a year later the same horse won the Cotswold Chase at Cheltenham.

O’Regan also won a Fighting Fifth on Countrywide Flame, a Finale Hurdle on Ruacana and a Galway Hurdle on Quick Jack.

Having learned the ropes at Noel Meade’s yard as understudy to Paul Carberry, it is no surprise O’Regan was renowned for his quiet style in the saddle and in recent years had been used by Gordon Elliott.

His recent victory at Hereford, the only course to have previously eluded him, came for trainer Cian Collins on Fiveonefive, so it was fitting he brought the curtain down on his career on Collins’ Solly Attwell, who finished unplaced.

O’Regan said: “I’m delighted with the decision. It was a huge effort to get back for Hereford after such a long stint off and I’m 41 and have had a fair few falls.

“It was not simple now to come to the decision but I went to Gowran last Saturday and I knew then after that. I knew going home that was it and I had to stop now.

“You need goals and when Hereford was done, it’s hard to find another one – unless you’ve got a good horse, and I don’t have six or seven Grade One horses, so I thought it was a good time.

“It’s the local track for me here, I’ve been very lucky here, my wife and my kids are here, there’s a lot of support and I wanted to go out on one of Cian’s. It didn’t have to be a winner and I’m delighted with that.”