A son of National Hunt trainer Tucker Geraghty and the older brother of the top jumps jockey Barry Geraghty, 34-year-old Ross Geraghty hails from one of the best-known families in Irish jump racing. While Ross has not reached the same heights as a jump jockey as his brother Barry, he won many big races over the years in Ireland and is now plying his trade with success in America.
Principal Trainer: Tom Voss (in America), Tucker Geraghty
Notable Wins:
- American Grand National (Your Sum Man 2009)
- Foxbrook Champion Novice Hurdle (Left Unsaid 2009)
- Mick Holly Memorial Handicap Chase (Island Life 2009)
- Paddy Power Handicap Chase (Newbay Prop 2007)
- Nolan & Brophy Handicap Hurdle (Leaders Way 2006)
- Pierse Leopardstown Handicap Chase (Cloudy Bays 2004)
- Duggan Brothers Porterstown Handicap Chase (What Odds 2003)
- Troytown Handicap Chase (Cloudy Bays 2003)
- Powers Gold Label Irish Grand National Chase (The Bunny Boiler 2002)
Bunny Brings Home The Bacon
Ross gained the biggest win of his career at the Fairyhouse Easter Festival in 2002. Riding the Noel Meade-trained The Bunny Boiler in the Irish Grand National, Geraghty gave the eight-year-old a patient ride to make headway from the rear to lead at the last where he made a bad blunder, but Geraghty soon got the son of Tremblant back in full stride and the pair eventually ran out the 1½ lengths winners from Give Over. That win obviously meant a lot to Geraghty and it very much elevated his position in the Irish weighing room.
In 2003/4 Geraghty gained two notable wins on the Charlie Byrnes-trained Cloudy Bays during a particularly profitable six-week period. The first of those wins came in the valuable Troytown Handicap Chase at Navan in November with Geraghty sending the six-year-old off in front and never looking in serious danger of being caught on his way to recording an impressive 25 lengths success. Just six weeks later, similar tactics yielded similarly impressive results with the pair winning the Pierse Leopardstown Handicap Chase at Leopardstown by 14 lengths. In between those two wins, Geraghty plundered yet another valuable event over fences, winning the Duggan Brothers Porterstown Handicap Chase at Fairyhouse on the Tucker Geraghty-trained What Odds.
St Patricks Day 2004 was a day of mixed fortunes for the Geraghty’s as, over at Cheltenham, Barry Geraghty and Moscow Flyer came to grief in the Queen Mother Champion Chase, but up at Down Royal, Ross Geraghty registered his first-ever treble, winning on Mr Maguire, Another Aspect and Endastory.
Grafting A Living
While winners proved frustratingly hard to come by for Geraghty in the years that followed that memorable season, the Tucker Geraghty-trained Leaders Way proved to be a consistent source of success for Ross. Having already gained two wins on the son of Supreme Leader in the years preceding 2004/5, he won no less than three races during that season and added the valuable Nolan & Brophy Handicap Hurdle to the pairs tally in March 2006.
Following a nine month wait since his last winner, Geraghty got back into the winners enclosure in spectacular fashion at the Christmas meeting at Leopardstown in 2007. Having been struck down with a bout of flu, Geraghty’s prospects of riding at all during the week looked slim, but when Tony Martin rang him asking him to ride Newbay Prop in the Paddy Power Handicap Chase, Geraghty didn’t have to think twice. Martin’s charge was originally supposed to be ridden by Robbie Colgan, but when that rider suffered a broken jaw at Down Royal the previous day, Martin was left scrambling to find a replacement and Geraghty fitted the bill. Sent off at 14/1, Newbay Prop and Geraghty still had plenty of work to do after the last, but the nine-year-old stayed on strongly close home to prevail by a head. The circumstances leading to Geraghty getting the ride made the win all the more remarkable and he gained universal praise for the strong finish he rode on the winner.
The American Dream
Geraghty continued to graft in the 2008/9 season and was rewarded with another valuable success in the Mick Holly Memorial Handicap Chase at Leopardstown on the Noel Meade-trained Island Life in March. Not long after that, Geraghty made the decision to travel to America to ride over jumps there. The season runs from March to November and Geraghty didn’t waste time in making an impact, riding a notable double at Far Hills in October, riding the ex-Tony Mullins inmate Your Sum Man to win the American Grand National and the Tom Voss-trained Left Unsaid to win the valuable Foxbrook Champion Novice Hurdle.
While Geraghty returned to Ireland for the winter of 2009/10, he was straight back to America in the spring and he enjoyed another successful campaign over there. With him enjoying success at both sides of the Atlantic, there looks to be plenty of life in Ross Geraghty yet and he can continue to add to his list of achievements in the years ahead.
Info supplied by Horse Racing Ireland - Updated January 2011
