Barry Geraghty


Barry Geraghty is a retired Irish jockey. He is the second most successful jockey of all time at the Cheltenham Festival.
Geraghty rode his first winner in January 1997 and three years later he became the Irish Champion jump jockey for the first time. His first win in England was the 1998 Midlands Grand National at Uttoxeter on Miss Orchestra for trainer Jessica Harrington. He rode his first Cheltenham winner on the Jessica Harrington-trained Moscow Flyer in the 2002 Arkle Chase.
He won the Grand National in 2003 on Monty's Pass. Also that year he won five races at the Cheltenham Festival, including the Queen Mother Champion Chase on Moscow Flyer and was voted Irish sports personality of the year.
In the 2003-04 season he became Champion Irish jump jockey for the second time and won the Stayers Hurdle at Cheltenham on the Jonjo O'Neill-trained Iris's Gift.
Geraghty and Moscow Flyer won their second Champion Chases at the 2005 Cheltenham Festival, and Barry also won the Cheltenham Gold Cup on Kicking King for trainer Tom Taaffe at that meeting.
Following the retirement of Mick Fitzgerald he became first jockey to the Nicky Henderson stable in 2008.
In 2009 he won the Champion Hurdle on Punjabi, the Arkle Challenge Trophy on Forpadydeplasterer and Triumph Hurdle on Zaynar. In winning the Champion Hurdle he became the first jockey to have won the big four races at cheltenham and The English Grand National.
On 2 November 2009 he rode his 1000th winner under National Hunt Rules in UK and Ireland when the Nicky Henderson trained Duc De Regniere won at Kempton.
He won his fifth Champion Chase at the 2013 Cheltenham Festival on Sprinter Sacre. He has had at least one winner at each Cheltenham festival since his first victory in 2002 except for the 2017 Cheltenham festival. At the 2020 Cheltenham Festival he had five wins for owner JP McManus. This included a record equalling fourth in the Champion Hurdle.
On 28 August 2012 he recorded his 1,000th Irish winner after a treble at Cork Racecourse. On 26 January 2019 he rode his 1,875th winner in Britain and Ireland, moving him up to fourth on the all-time winners list.
In July 2020, Geraghty announced his retirement. At retirement, he was the fourth most successful British and Irish jump jockey with 1920 winners.

Cheltenham Festival Winners (43)

Major wins

Ireland
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Great Britain
Geraghty rode in every Grand National from 2000 until 2014, winning once and being placed on four other occasions. He missed the 2015 Grand National due to a hairline fracture in his left tibia.
YearMountFinish
2000Call It a Day6th
2001HanakhamFell
2002Alexander BanquetUnseated rider
2003Monty's Pass1st
2004Monty's Pass4th
2005Monty's Pass16th
2006Puntal6th
2007Slim Pickings3rd
2008Slim Pickings4th
2009Golden FlightFell
2010Big Fella Thanks4th
2011Or Noir De SomozaFell
2012Shakalakaboomboom9th
2013Roberto GoldbackUnseated rider
2014Triolo D'alenePulled up
2016Shutthefrontdoor9th
2017More Of ThatPulled up
2018Anibale Fly4th