Garrett Cotter rode his first winner in the Osberstown Opportunity Handicap Hurdle on the Dessie Hughes-trained State Princess on May 6th 1995 and over the last 15 years has carved out a fine career for himself as a National Hunt jockey.
Principal Trainers: Jimmy Coogan, Conor O’Dwyer
Notable Wins:
- Becher Chase (Garvivonnian 2005)
- Betfred Gold Cup (Jack High 2005)
- Troytown Handicap Chase (Jack High 2004)
- Royal Bond Novice Hurdle (Newmill 2003)
- Munster National (Brownie Returns 2003)
- Irish Grand National Trial Handicap Chase (Northern Sound 2001 + 2000)
- Murphys Irish Stout Handicap Hurdle (Magical Lady 1998)
- Nas Na Riogh EBF Novice Chase (Guest Performance 1998)
- Newlands Chase (Opera Hat 1998)
- Boyne Hurdle (Rince Ri 1998)
- Porterstown Handicap Chase (Bobbyjo 1997)
- Brown Lad Handicap Hurdle (Afarka 1997)
Early Days
Garrett lost his claim in July 1997 and has consistently ridden a fair total of winners every year. One of his first big early winners as a professional was aboard the Sean Treacy-trained Afarka in the Brown Lad Handicap Hurdle at Naas and later that month he won the Porterstown Handicap Chase at Fairyhouse on the Tommy Carberry-trained Bobbyjo. Garrett partnered the Ted Walsh-trained Rince Ri in some of his earlier races and in the space of two short months they were successful in a maiden hurdle, a novice hurdle and the Boyne Hurdle at Navan while he later rode the same horse to finish second in the Durkan Brothers Chase at Punchestown in December 1999.
Climbing The Ladder
A fine double on the Dessie Hughes-trained Guest Performance in the Nas Na Riogh EBF Novice Chase and the John Fowler-trained Opera Hat in the Newlands Chase in February 1998 helped to raise Garrett’s profile and the following year he won two big handicap hurdles at Killarney on the Pat Hughes-trained Magical Lady. Garrett also rode the Frances Crowley-trained Moscow Express to one of his 29 career victories at Killarney that year.
One of Garrett’s most memorable rides did not lead to success but approaching the second-last fence in the Aintree Grand National in 1999 nothing seemed to be travelling better than his mount, the John Queally-trained Merry People. The pair had made up significant ground after being well behind on the first circuit and arrived on the outside of runners seemingly full of running, but unfortunately this 200/1 chance overjumped and came to grief. Garrett described that race as a thrill of a lifetime, but the following year the pair did not fare as well as they made an early exit from the world’s greatest race.
Garrett also formed a lucrative partnership with the Paul Roche-trained Northern Sound on whom he won four races including victories in the Irish Grand National Trial Handicap Chase in 2000 and 2001. He also rode top bumper performer Quadco to victory in a maiden hurdle at Cork on the same day. He also partnered the Mouse Morris-trained Brownie Returns to a fortuitous victory in the Munster National at Limerick in 2003, with over half the field taking the wrong course after jumping the third last fence. Six weeks later he needed no such fortune when gaining his first-ever Grade 1 win on the Tom O’Leary-trained Newmill in the Royal Bond Novice Hurdle at Fairyhouse.
Jack High Takes Centre Stage
However, Garrett’s association with the Ted Walsh-trained Jack High is one that Cotter cherishes the most. When trained by Willie Rock, Garrett first rode him to victory in a maiden hurdle at Naas in November 2002 and later that year they combined to take the three mile Paddy Power Handicap Hurdle at the Leopardstown Christmas Festival before taking the valuable INH Stallion Owners European Breeders Fund Novice Handicap Hurdle Final at Fairyhouse in February 2003. With the death of Willie Rock shortly afterwards, the horse was sent to Ted Walsh to train and with Garrett on board again, they won a beginners chase at Navan in March 2004. As Jack High was not overly big, he was finding life more difficult over fences, but took full advantage of a lenient handicap mark when running out a clear-cut winner of the Troytown Handicap Chase at Navan in November 2005 to give Garrett another big-race success. The pair subsequently finished fourth in the Paddy Power Handicap Chase at Leopardstown and then finished in the frame in the Irish Grand National at Fairyhouse. Far from downhearted by that near miss, three weeks later Garrett and Jack High combined to land the prestigious Betfred Gold Cup at Sandown with the pair coming from well off the pace to score giving his rider his biggest success as a jockey. In November 2005, Garrett once again hit the headlines on the Edward Mitchell-trained Garvivonnian at Aintree as they sprang a 33/1 shock in the Beecher Chase over the Grand National fences.
Grafting
2006 was not a year to remember for Garrett, as he was unlucky with injuries, although his old favourite Jack High landed the Tennent’s Chase at Down Royal on St Patrick’s Day. Since then, Cotter has kept grafting away, riding his share of winners each season, but big-race winners have been in short supply. Regardless of whether he can return to the big-race winner’s enclosure, Cotter has represented his profession very well since first making an impact over 15 years ago and he can look back with pride on what has been a very successful career.
Info supplied by Horse Racing Ireland - Updated January 2011
