Jockey Profile

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From Palace East, County Wexford, Sean Flanagan began his career as an amateur rider and rode his first winner on the Eamonn Sheehy-trained Keevas Boy in a handicap chase at Down Royal in November, 2006. He rode three more winners as an amateur before turning professional in January of the following year and was off the mark in the paid ranks within a week when partnering Sheehy’s Merry Cowboy to win a handicap hurdle at Fairyhouse on January 21.

He rode successfully for two half-seasons in America where he was based with leading trainer Jack Fisher in Baltimore. Flanagan was appointed stable jockey to Noel Meade in mid-September of 2016 to replace Paul Carberry who had retired from riding a couple of weeks earlier. Sean's first Grade 1 success came when the Meade-trained Disko landed the Flogas Novice Chase at Leopardstown on February 12th, 2017. Flanagan rode the first treble of his career (Abraham (Shay Barry), Major Destination (Noel Meade) and Rashaan (Colin Kidd)) at Cork Racecourse on Friday, July 14th 2017.

A second Grade 1 success came his way when the Noel Meade-trained Road To Respect won the Leopardstown Christmas Chase on Thursday, December 28th, 2017 and Sean gained his first Grade 1 success in Britain when the Henry De Bromhead-trained Identity Thief won the Ryanair Stayers Hurdle at Aintree on Saturday, April 14, 2018. 

Sean rode his first winner at the Cheltenham Festival when partnering the Noel Meade-trained 80/1 chance Jeff Kidder to success in the Boodles Juvenile Handicap Hurdle in 2021. It was the longest-priced winner at the Festival since Norton’s Coin landed the 1990 Cheltenham Gold Cup at odds of 100/1. It was a sixth Festival winner for Meade. 

Flanagan became a freelance jockey once again when his partnership with Noel Meade came to an end in May, 2022.