Jockey Profile

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A son of Aidan O'Brien, Donnacha enjoyed a brief but hugely successful career in the saddle before joining the training ranks in late 2019. He had just turned 16 when he rode his first winner on his father's Quartz at Dundalk in September, 2014. Big race success quickly came the teenager's way and the following month he landed the Irish Cesarewitch on El Salvador at the Curragh.  

His first Listed win came in the Saval Beg Stakes at Leopardstown on Kingfisher in June, 2015 and his first Group success arrived when Order Of St George won the Group 3 Palmerstown House Estate Irish St Leger Trial Stakes at the Curragh on August 20, 2016.  

But better was to come at the same course on Longines Irish Champions Weekend the following month when Donnacha captured his first Group 1 win on Intricately, trained by his brother Joseph, in the Moyglare Stud Stakes. The filly, bred by their mother Anne Marie, was also giving Joseph his first training success at the highest level.  

Donnacha was crowned champion apprentice rider at the end of the 2016 season. Donnacha rode out his claim when successful on his father's San Remo in the Dundalk Stadium Handicap at Dundalk on Wednesday, April 12, 2017.  

Donnacha was 19 years old when he landed his first Classic victory when partnering Saxon Warrior, trained by Aidan O'Brien, to win the QIPCO 2,000 Guineas at Newmarket on May 5, 2018. Early the following month, he won the Epsom Oaks on Forever Together, another trained by his father. Just weeks later won the Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby at the Curragh when Latrobe prevailed in a thrilling renewal. Donnacha's brother Joseph trained Latrobe which beat horses trained by their father Aidan into second, third, fourth and fifth places.  

Donnacha reached yet another milestone when he rode 100 winners in a season for the first time at Dundalk on September 28, 2018. At the end of the 2018 season, Donnacha was crowned champion jockey for the first time with 111 winners.  

Planning for life out of the saddle, O'Brien completed the Irish Horseracing Regulatory Board's Pre-Racehorse Trainers Development Course in May, 2019. Earlier in the same month, he had added to his Classic haul when he won the English 2,000 Guineas on Magna Grecia. Donnacha won nine Group 1 races in all, the final being the QIPCO Champion Stakes at Ascot in October 2019 on the Aidan O'Brien-trained Magical. 

Donnacha was crowned champion jockey for the second time at Naas on November 3, 2019. In a season that saw two jockeys record a three-figure tally for the first time, he retained the title with 111 winners and beating the 2017 champion Colin Keane by eight. 

Just three weeks later, Donnacha announced his retirement for the saddle, saying, "After thinking about things for a while I have decided to concentrate on training next year. Riding has been very good to me and I owe everything to the people around me. I want to give special thanks to the Magnier, Smith and Tabor families along with my own family for all their support. I look forward to training a small group of horses next year and will hopefully build from there.”

Donnacha's trainer profile can be found HERE