Dermot Weld

Principal Jockeys: Pat Smullen, Pat Shanahan, Shane Gorey

DermotWeldNotable Wins On The Flat:

  • Secretariat Stakes (Winchester 2008)
  • Jim Murray Memorial Handicap (Grey Swallow 2006)
  • Irish 1000 Guineas (Nightime 2006, Trusted Partner 1988, Princes Polly 1982)
  • Tattersalls Gold Cup (Grey Swallow 2005, Dance Design 1997, Definite Article 1996)
  • Irish St Leger (Vinnie Roe 2004 + 2003 + 2002 + 2001, Vintage Crop 1994 + 1993)
  • Irish Derby (Grey Swallow 2004, Zagreb 1996)
  • Flower Bowl Invitational Stakes (Dimitrova 2003)
  • American Oaks (Dimitrova 2003)
  • English 2000 Guineas (Refuse To Bend 2003)
  • Melbourne Cup (Media Puzzle 2002, Vintage Crop 1993)
  • National Stakes (Refuse To Bend 2002, Definite Article 1994)
  • Pennsylvania Derby (Pine Dance 2000)
  • America Derby (Pine Dance 2000)
  • Darley Irish Oaks (Dance Design 1996, Blue Wind 1981)
  • St James Palace Stakes (Brief Truce 1992)
  • Italian Derby (In A Tiff 1992)
  • Belmont Stakes (Go And Go 1990)
  • Italian 2000 Guineas (Gay Burslem 1988, Again Tomorrow 1985)
  • Moyglare Stud Stakes (Flutter Away 1987)
  • Irish 2000 Guineas (Flash Of Steel 1986)
  • English Oaks (Blue Wind 1981)

Notable Wins Over Jumps:

  • Galway Plate (Kiichi 1990, General Idea 1993, Ansar 2004 + 2005)
  • AIG Galway Hurdle (Spanner 1975, Strathline 1985, Ansar 2001)
  • Europe Champion Hurdle (Fortune And Fame 1994 + 1995)
  • Ericsson Chase (General Idea 1992)
  • Triumph Hurdle (Rare Holiday 1990)

60 Seconds With Dermot Weld

Q. Which race over jumps that you have not won yet would you most like to win?
A. The Aintree Grand National is a race I would love to win if the right horse came around for it. I’ve had two runners in the race before, Grease Paint who finished second to Hallo Dandy in 1984 and Perris Valley that fell at Bechers in 1989.

Q. What is your favourite racetrack in Ireland?
A. Galway.

Q. In your opinion, which racetrack has the best atmosphere in the world?
A. Flemington

Q. Which international races on the Flat that you have not yet won would you most like to win?
A. The Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe is a race I would love to win, again granted the right horse came along.

Q. What would be your dark horse for 2009?
A. Grace O’Malley won her only start as a two-year-old at the backend of last season and I think she is a very nice filly.

The Weld name will always be associated with the Curragh, with Charlie Weld having established himself as a top-class trainer at Rosewell House before his son Dermot took over the reins in 1972. With the famous yard located just yards from the entrance to the Curragh racecourse, the Dermot has consistently been one of Ireland’s most successful trainers and is rightfully acclaimed as one of the best trainers in the world having saddled big-race winners on four different continents.

Dermot is a qualified vet and was also a very accomplished amateur jockey in his younger years. He is renowned for sending his charges all over the world to compete in the best races, being the only European trainer to have saddled the winner of the prestigious Melbourne Cup in Australia, a feat he achieved with the brilliant Vintage Crop in 1993 and again with Media Puzzle in 2002. Vintage Crop also won the Irish St Leger in 1993 and 1994 as well as the Curragh Cup in 1993 and 1995 and this famous horse has a life-sized bronze statue of himself overlooking the parade ring at the racecourse itself.

Weld has won all five Irish Classics, with his first success coming with Blue Wind in the 1981 Irish Oaks having earlier captured the English equivalent. Dance Design gave him a second Irish Oaks in 1996 while he also captured the Irish 1000 Guineas with Princess Polly in 1982, Trusted Partner in 1988 and Nightime in 2006. His only Irish 2000 Guineas success was with Flash Of Steel in 1986, while Vinnie Roe won his fourth consecutive Irish St Leger in 2004. Having tried for years to win a Budweiser Irish Derby, he came close with Theatrical in 1985 and even closer with Definite Article (beaten a short-head by Winged Love) ten years later before finally adding this famous race to his impressive list of winners when Zagreb sprang a 20/1 shock in 1996 having been passed over by stable jockey Michael Kinane, which left Pat Shanahan to take the mount on the six length winner. He secured another Budweiser Irish Derby when Grey Swallow won the 2005 renewal in the hands of Pat Smullen.

Weld has also won races like the Moyglare Stud Stakes (Flutter Away in 1987), the National Stakes (three times), the Tattersalls Gold Cup (Definite Article, Dance Design and Grey Swallow) plus countless other Group and Listed races. He was also successful in the 2003 English 2000 Guineas at Newmarket with Refuse To Bend while Vinnie Roe only failed narrowly to give him a third Melbourne Cup success when beaten by Makybe Diva in 2005.

While the Master of Rosewell House is mainly a trainer of Flat horses, he has consistently shown his skill in the National Hunt sphere over the years. Ansar in particular has been a fine servant to Weld, winning the Galway Hurdle in 2001 and the Galway Plate in 2004 and 2005. Other wins in the Galway Hurdle have come with Strathline (1985) and in the Galway Plate with Kiichi (1990) and General Idea (1993). He also has a victory in the Triumph Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival to his name courtesy of Rare Holiday (1990).

Weld is also the only European trainer to win a leg of the American Triple Crown after Go And Go sprang a surprise victory in the 1990 Belmont Stakes and he has consistently bagged big American races in recent years with the likes of Pine Dance, Dimitrova, Jazz Beat and Winchester.

Crowned Champion Trainer in terms of prize money and in terms of races won on many occasions since he began training in 1972, in February 2005 Dermot Weld achieved a fantastic milestone when King Jock became the 3000th winner of a truly magnificent career when winning in Dubai.

It would come as a major surprise to most people that Weld has failed to win a European Group 1 since 2006, with him hitting the crossbar on a number of occasions with the likes of Famous Name, Casual Conquest and Carribean Sunset. With a view to correcting that stat, he looks to have a strong team of three-year-olds at his disposal this season and it would be no surprise to see him add to his burgeoning tally of Classic wins. In particular, Casual, Broad Meaning, Grace O’Malley and Maziona could well make their presence felt at the highest level.

Updated April 2009.