Barry Geraghty rode his first winner on the Noel Meade-trained Stagalier at Down Royal back in January 1997 and his progress since then has been nothing short of remarkable. He has been crowned Champion Jockey on two occasions in Ireland, in 1999/2000 and 2003/4, as well as being crowned leading rider at the Cheltenham Festival in 2003. That latter meeting has proved to be particularly lucrative for Geraghty, with him having recorded 19 wins at it having ridden his first one there in 2002, with him riding at least one winner every year since then. On November 2nd 2009 he reached a notable milestone when gaining his 1000th winner under National Hunt Rules in the UK and Ireland when the Nicky Henderson-trained Duc De Regniere won at Kempton.
Principal Trainers: Nicky Henderson, Jessica Harrington
Notable Wins:
- Paddy Power Dial-A-Bet Chase (Big Zeb 2010)
- Kerry National (Alfa Beat 2010)
- Triumph Hurdle (Soldatino 2010, Zaynar 2009, Spectroscope 2003)
- Queen Mother Champion Chase (Big Zeb 2010, Moscow Flyer 2005 + 2003)
- Ascot Chase (Monet’s Garden 2010)
- totepool Challengers Novices' Chase (Punchestowns 2010)
- Cheltenham Champion Hurdle (Punjabi 2009)
- Arkle Trophy (Forpadydeplasterer 2009, Moscow Flyer 2002)
- Ladbroke Hurdle (Sentry Duty 2008)
- Long Walk Hurdle (Punchestowns 2008)
- Fighting Fifth Hurdle (Punjabi 2008)
- ACC Bank Champion Hurdle (Punjabi 2008, Macs Joy 2006)
- Swordlestown Cup Novice Chase (Big Zeb 2008)
- Dan Moore Handicap Chase (Schindlers Hunt 2008)
- Jewson Novices' Handicap Chase (Finger Onthe Pulse 2008)
- vcbet.com Champion Novice Hurdle (Clopf 2007)
- John Durkan Memorial Chase (In Compliance 2006, Kicking King 2004)
- Royal & SunAlliance Chase (Star De Mohaison 2006)
- King George VI Chase (Kicking King 2005 + 2004)
- Martell Melling Chase (Moscow Flyer 2005 + 2004)
- Cheltenham Gold Cup (Kicking King 2005)
- AIG Europe Champion Hurdle (Macs Joy 2005)
- Pierse Hurdle (Essex 2005)
- BETDAQ.com Champion Chase (Moscow Flyer 2004)
- December Festival Hurdle (Macs Joy 2004)
- World Hurdle (Iris’s Gift 2004)
- Aintree Grand National (Monty’s Pass 2003)
- Drinmore Novice Chase (Le Coudray 2002, Alexander Banquet 1999)
- Hatton’s Grace Hurdle (Limestone Lad 2002)
- Punchestown Heineken Gold Cup (Florida Pearl 2002, Moscow Express 2001)
- Hennessy Cognac Gold Cup (Alexander Banquet 2002)
- Royal Bond Novice Hurdle (Moscow Flyer 1999)
Early Days
A son of trainer Tucker Geraghty and grandson of Laurence Geraghty, the breeder of the legendary Golden Miller, Barry Geraghty was bred for success in the racing game. Geraghty was attached to the Noel Meade yard in the early stages of his career and it was Meade that provided him with his first taste of big-race glory when he rode Cockney Lad to win both the Lismullen Hurdle and the Morgiana Hurdle in the space of a fortnight in November 1997. Later that season Geraghty gained valuable exposure in England when riding the Jessie Harrington-trained Miss Orchestra to win the Midlands Grand National at Uttoxeter.
He had what was undoubtedly the biggest day of his young career when completing a hugely-significant double at Fairyhouse in November 1999 when winning the Grade 1 Drinmore Novice Chase on Alexander Banquet and following up that win an hour later in the Grade 1 Royal Bond Novice Hurdle on Moscow Flyer. Those performances predictably resulted in him becoming very much an in-demand jockey, so much so that he went on to win the Champion Jockey honours that same season.
Moscow The Magnificent
Moscow Flyer is a horse that Geraghty has a lot to thank for as during the course of the career of Jessie Harrington’s stable star, he consistently kept Geraghty in the headlines. During 2000/1 he won the Morgiana Hurdle, the December Festival Hurdle and the Shell Champion Hurdle. However it wasn’t until he went over fences the following season that he confirmed himself as one of the most talented horse of the last decade. In the mean time, Geraghty continued to ride big-race winners, with one of the highlights coming when he partnered the Francis Crowley-trained Sackville to win the Grade 1 Sefton Novice Hurdle at the Aintree Grand National meeting.
Having ridden Moscow Flyer to victory in a beginner chase at Down Royal in November 2001, the pair moved up the novice chasing ranks in relentless fashion, winning the Grade 3 Craddockstown Novice Chase, the Grade 1 Denny Gold Medal Novice Chase, the Grade 1 Arkle Trophy at the Cheltenham Festival and the Grade 1 Swordlestown Cup Novice Chase at the Punchestown Festival. Geraghty’s season was rounded off in fine style with wins in both the Martell Cup at Aintree and the Heinekan Gold Cup at Punchestown on the hugely popular Florida Pearl.
Following such a successful season, hopes were high that Moscow Flyer would go on to prove himself a top class two mile chaser during the 2002/3 season, and he did not disappoint. Having won three out of his four starts during that season, Moscow Flyer went to Cheltenham as one of the Irish bankers in the Queen Mother Champion Chase and under a no-nonsense Geraghty ride, he easily prevailed by seven lengths. That win was the highlight of a remarkable 2003 Cheltenham Festival for Geraghty as he won no less than five races, easily winning the leading rider title for the week. What was an unbelievable few months for Geraghty was further enhanced by an easy victory in the most famous steeplechase of them all, the Aintree Grand National, on the Jimmy Mangan-trained Monty’s Pass. In recognition of his amazing year, Geraghty was voted as ‘Sports Personality Of The Year’ later that season for his wonderful victories, the first time that this prize had been won by anyone in the racing industry.
The 2003/4 season saw Moscow Flyer achieve further success under Geraghty, winning a memorable renewal of the Grade 1 Tingle Creek Chase as well as two Graded races in Ireland before heading to the Cheltenham Festival to defend his Champion Chase crown. Unfortunately, Moscow Flyer unseated Geraghty at the fourth last on that occasion, but they gained some compensation when winning the Melling Chase at Aintree and the Betdaq.com Champion Chase at Punchestown.
Kicking King Comes To Prominence
It was during that season that the Tom Taaffe-trained Kicking King emerged as a potential star in the making. Geraghty had ridden him to win a Grade 2 novice hurdle in 2003 but having gone over fences, he soon improved into a top-class performer. Geraghty partnered him to victory in the Grade 1 Irish Arkle before finishing second in both the Arkle Trophy at the Cheltenham Festival and the Powers Gold Cup at Fairyhouse. However, it wasn’t until he stepped up in trip the following season that he truly fulfilled his potential. All told, 2003/4 was a spectacular season at both sides of the Irish Sea, with him riding no less than 123 winners during the campaign. He also secured his all-important Cheltenham Festival winner courtesy of Iris’s Gift in the Stayers Hurdle.
Geraghty and Kicking King wasted no time in making an impact in 2004/5, winning two of his first three starts before surviving a monumental final fence blunder to win a memorable renewal of the King George at Kempton. The pair next appeared at the Cheltenham Festival in the Gold Cup and under a vintage Geraghty ride, Kicking King powered up the hill to prevail by five lengths. The pair supplemented that win with a facile win in the Guinness Gold Cup at the Punchestown Festival.
Meanwhile Moscow Flyer was continuing to dominate the 2m chase scene, winning the Tingle Creek again as well as two Graded races in Ireland before heading back to Cheltenham to attempt to regain his crown. This time it was Azertyuiop’s turn to make a vital jumping error which left Well Chief and Moscow Flyer to fight out the finish with Geraghty’s mount running out the two length victor. That win was followed by an imperious performance in the Melling Chase at Aintree but amazingly, that would be the last time the great horse would enter the big-race winners enclosure as he failed to recapture his best form the following season.
Unfortunately for Geraghty, 2005/6 saw another of his high profile regular mounts, Kicking King, fall by the wayside, but not before winning his second consecutive King George at Kempton. He succumbed to injury soon after that run and when he eventually returned to the racecourse, he was not the same animal.
Macs Joy Picks Up The Baton
Luckily for Geraghty, the decline of Moscow Flyer and the injury to Kicking King coincided with the relentless rise of the Jessie Harrington-trained Macs Joy up through the hurdling ranks. Having won a number of handicap hurdles during 2003/4, he improved leaps and bounds during 2004/5 to win both the December Festival Hurdle and the AIG Champion Hurdle with Geraghty in the plate on both occasions. He had a more patient campaign in 2005/06 that resulted in him winning the Red Mills Hurdle and the ACC Bank Champion Hurdle at Punchestown, finishing second in the Champion Hurdle at Cheltenham in between.
More Big-Race Success
2006/7 was a typically successful, if somewhat frustrating season for Geraghty. He claimed no less that five wins (four in Graded races) on the teak-tough Kazal and gained his biggest win of the season on In Compliance in the Grade 1 John Durkan Memorial Chase. Both of those horses, as well as Macs Joy, would have been strongly fancied mounts for Geraghty at the Cheltenham Festival, but all three missed their engagements for various reasons leaving Geraghty with seldom little ammunition for the greatest National Hunt meeting in the world. However, that did not stop Geraghty adding to his burgeoning haul of Cheltenham Festival when riding Cork All Star to victory in the Champion Bumper. He wrapped up his season by giving the Eddie O’Grady-trained Clopf an admirably persistent ride to win the Grade 1 vcbet.com Champion Novice Hurdle at the Punchestown Festival.
2007/8 was very much a season of two halves for Geraghty in terms of big-race success, with the first half proving to be a somewhat frustrating time for him on the big-race circuit, before he erupted into form in the latter half. His good run was kicked off at the Cheltenham Festival with him winning the Jewson Novices' Handicap Chase on the Tom Taaffe-trained Finger Onthe Pulse. A couple of weeks later, he rode the Dessie Hughes-trained Schindlers Hunt to success in the valuable Dan Moore Handicap Chase at the Fairyhouse Easter Festival. He then wrapped up the season with a big-race double at the Punchestown Festival, winning the Swordlestown Cup Novice Chase on the Colm Murphy-trained Big Zeb and the ACC Bank Champion Hurdle on the Nicky Henderson-trained Punjabi.
Britain Bound
It was in August 2008 that Geraghty made a career-defining decision to replace the retiring Mick Fitzgerald as stable jockey to top English trainer Nicky Henderson and it proved to be an inspired decision. Henderson provided him with a multitude of big-race winners from the very beginning of their partnership and with Geraghty regularly returning to ride in Ireland with similar success, it proved to be an immensely successful arrangement. The star of his season was the admirably tough Punjabi, whom he rode to win both the Fighting Fifth Hurdle at Wetherby and the Champion Hurdle at Cheltenham. That latter win was the middle leg of a Cheltenham Festival treble for Geraghty, with him also riding the Tom Cooper-trained Forpadydeplasterer to win the Arkle Trophy and the Henderson-trained Zaynar to win the Triumph Hurdle. With the help of those winners and his successful forays to Ireland, Geraghty rode over 100 winners in the season for the first time in five years, a stat which more than justified his decision to go to England.
2009/10 saw Geraghty consolidate his position as one of the leading jockeys in both Britain and Ireland. His partnership with Nicky Henderson continued to yield handsome dividends, with his wins on Punchestowns in the totepool Challengers Novices' Chase at Sandown and on Soldatino in the Triumph Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival being the highlights of the partnership. However, perhaps his most notable partner of the season was the Colm Murphy-trained Big Zeb, with the pair combining to win the Fortria Chase at Navan, the Tied Cottage Chase and most notably, the Queen Mother Champion Chase at the Cheltenham Festival. It was such a successful campaign that Geraghty came within one winner of matching his incredible seasonal tally of 123 winners in Great Britain and Ireland in 2003/4.
To The Future
Geraghty had yet another string added to his bow in November 2010 with him being appointed as Horse Racing Ireland’s National Hunt Ambassador for the season ahead. Back on the racecourse, he got off the Grade 1 mark for the season when riding Big Zeb to win the Paddy Power Dial-A-Bet Chase at Leopardstown’s Christmas meeting.
With Nicky Henderson looking to have as strong a team as ever to go to war with in the coming season and with horses such as Big Zeb and Voler La Vedette to look forward to back in Ireland, Geraghty looks sure to enjoy yet another highly-successful season.
Info supplied by Horse Racing Ireland - Updated January 2011
