Jack Kennedy

Date of Birth: April 22, 1999

County of origin: Kerry

First winner: Funny How (Pat Flynn) Cork, May 22, 2015

Significant horses (selected): Minella Indo, Apple's Jade, Samcro, Shattered Love, Zanahiyr, Quilixios, Farclas, Outlander, Death Duty, Battleoverdoyen, Mengli Khan, Riverside City, A Toi Phil, Clondaw Warrior, Ball D'Arc, Definite Ruby, Jury Duty, Clarcam, Tocororo, Bless The Wings, Prince Of Scars, Veneer Of Charm, Zanjabeel, Monbeg Notorious. 

Assoc. Trainers: Gordon Elliott, Denise Foster

Follow Jack on Twitter: @jackkennedy15

Did you know? 

From Dingle, County Kerry, Jack Kennedy became the youngest jockey at 21 years of age to win the Cheltenham Gold Cup in modern times when winning the 2021 renewal on the Henry de Bromhead-trained Minella Indo. Kennedy was 17 when he rode his first winner at the Festival. 

He burst onto the scene in the summer of 2015 and was undoubtedly the find of the year. He is a graduate of the pony racing circuit and won the Dingle Derby on Coola Boula in 2014. After starting out with Tommy Stack, he moved to Gordon Elliott and had his first ride on the racecourse at Clonmel on May 7th, 2015. Just two weeks later, he rode his first winner on just his seventh ride when partnering the Pat Flynn-trained Funny How to win a seven furlong handicap at Cork. His first success over hurdles came at Down Royal on May 29th when he rode Eshtiaal to win a handicap hurdle by 11 lengths for Gordon Elliott. In the very next race, he partnered a second winner for the County Meath trainer when winning another handicap hurdle on Mustadrik, this time by 17 lengths.

Jack rode his first winner over fences when taking the €100,000 Ladbrokes Troytown Handicap Chase on the JP McManus-owned Riverside City, another trained by Gordon Elliott at Navan on November 22nd, 2015. Riverside City was the middle leg of a treble for Kennedy that same day at Navan, the first of his career. A year and a day after riding his first winner over hurdles, Kennedy rode out his claim when partnering the Norman Lee-trained Troublesombrothers to win a maiden hurdle at Ballinrobe.

He landed his first Grade 1 success when partnering the Gordon Elliott-trained Outlander to win the Lexus Chase at Leopardstown on December 28, 2016. It was also his 100th winner in the saddle. A second Grade 1 success came just two weeks later when Kennedy partnered the Elliott-trained Death Duty to success in the Lawlor's Hotel Novice Hurdle at Naas.

Kennedy was still 17 years old when he partnered his first winner at the Cheltenham Festival when the Gordon Elliott-trained Labaik won the Supreme Novices' Hurdle on March 14, 2017. The following year, he won four races at the Cheltenham Festival matching the tally of the week's leading rider, Davy Russell. However, Russell won the title as he had ridden more placed horses. Kennedy has nine Cheltenham Festival winners to his name after riding four winners at the 2021 Festival, finishing runner-up in the jockeys' title race to Rachael Blackmore (six winners). He missed the 2020 Festival through injury. His Cheltenham tally stands at 10 winners after the 2022 renewal. 

SeasonRuns1st2nd3rd4thWin MoneyPlace MoneyTotal *
Winter All Weather 2021/202240001€0€550€550
Winter All Weather 2016/201730000€0€0€0
Winter All Weather 2015/201651001€15,840€450€16,290
National Hunt 2022/202332077473035€961,800€302,785€1,264,585
National Hunt 2021/202225540432427€741,000€576,540€1,317,540
National Hunt 2020/202132259634929€846,600€627,125€1,473,725
National Hunt 2019/202018833202623€766,813€239,715€1,006,528
National Hunt 2018/201945557515347€965,375€557,663€1,523,038
National Hunt 2017/201832663473231€1,155,063€467,070€1,622,133
National Hunt 2016/201750568805657€952,063€650,053€1,602,115
National Hunt 2015/201629944454231€548,073€239,929€788,001
Flat 201710000€0€0€0
Flat 2016131311€7,500€10,313€17,813
Flat 2015557863€101,950€26,490€128,440

Venue
Date From
Date To
Horse
Race Type
Distance
Place
Weight
Rating
Pattern/Listed
Venue Date Horse Race Type Distance Place Weight Rating Race Pattern/ Listed Prize Money
Naas 08/01/23 Top Bandit (GB) NovCh 2m fell 11-2 Rathmore Stud Irish EBF Novice S'chase
Cork 07/01/23 Rodaniche HcpHdl 2m 4f 7 11-9 126 Racing Again March 23rd H'cap H'dle
Cork 07/01/23 Gordons Aura MdnHdl 2m 4 10-13 Happy New Year From All At Cork Mdn Hdle €625
Cork 07/01/23 Thunder Down Under MdnHdl 3m 5 11-12 107 ITM Stallion Trail 13-14 January Mdn Hdl €375
Fairyhouse 01/01/23 Harmonya Maker (FR) Hdl 2m 2f 68yds 1 11-5 Wishing Everyone A Healthy 2023 (M) Hdle €8,100
Fairyhouse 01/01/23 Ballykeel BegCh 2m 5f 30yds 3 11-12 123 McInerney Beginners S'chase €1,400
Fairyhouse 01/01/23 Elusive Sea HcpHdl 2m 7f 165yds p.u. 11-12 97 Tote+ Pays You More At Tote.ie Hcap Hdle
Fairyhouse 01/01/23 An Mhi MdnHdl 2m 4f 13yds 2 11-12 ITM Stallion Trail 13-14 Jan M'dn Hdle €2,400
Punchestown 31/12/22 Teagarden Jazz (GB) MdnHdl 2m 100yds 5 10-7 Play The Tote Exacta 3-Y-O M'dn H'dle €375
Punchestown 31/12/22 Riaan HcpHdl 2m 3f 120yds 16 10-11 125 Tote.ie Never Beaten Tara H'cap H'dle (Grade B) Grade B
Punchestown 31/12/22 Floueur (FR) Hdl 2m 3f 120yds 8 11-10 142 Tote Sponsoring At Punchestown H'dle
Punchestown 31/12/22 Fakiera (FR) BegCh 2m 7f 40yds 4 11-12 131 Tote Always SP Or Better Beginners S'ch €650
Leopardstown 29/12/22 Queens Brook Hdl 2m 4f 2 11-0 144 BeattheBank.ie Irish EBF (Mares) H'dle (Grade 3) Grade 3 €8,000
Leopardstown 29/12/22 Three Stripe Life NovCh 3m fell 11-10 Neville Hotels Novice S'chase (Grade 1) Grade 1
Leopardstown 29/12/22 Thunder Down Under HcpHdl 2m 4f p.u. 10-12 111 Irish Stallion Farms EBF Novice Hcap Hdl
Leopardstown 29/12/22 Pied Piper (GB) Hdl 2m 5 11-12 147 Matheson H'dle (Grade 1) Grade 1 €4,500
Leopardstown 29/12/22 Search For Glory MdnHdl 2m 4f 3 11-12 Pigsback.com M'dn H'dle €1,500
Leopardstown 28/12/22 Maxxum HcpHdl 3m 1 10-5 120 Pertemps Network H'cap H'dle (Qualifier) €30,000
Leopardstown 28/12/22 Grand Roi (FR) BegCh 2m 5f p.u. 11-12 Ballymaloe Relish Beginners S'chase
Leopardstown 28/12/22 Firm Footings MdnHdl 2m 4f 3 11-7 Savills M'dn H'dle €1,500
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*Statistics are up to close of business the previous day. Prize-money is allocated within 1 week of the race date (allow 1 week for Prize-money).

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