County Of Origin: Kildare
Date of licence: 1984
First winner: Kath-Der-Mar (Mr Michael Halford), Wexford, July 2, 1984
Significant horses (Selected): Golden Cross, Casamento, Raydara, Toscanini, Eastern Appeal, Snaefell, Russian Soul, Certerach, Miss Emma, Miss Sally, Jazz Princess, Nick's Nikita, Invincible Ash, Molly-O, Platinum Warrior.Â
Assoc. jockeys: Conor Hoban, Shane Foley, Colm O'Donoghue, Ross Coakley.Â
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Did You Know:
A more than capable amateur rider, Michael Halford rode around 50 winners but has really made his name in his role as a trainer on the Curragh. He rode his first winner as a trainer when 2/1 favourite Kath-Der-Mar won a bumper at Wexford on July 2, 1984. He served as assistant to Noel Meade until branching out on his own that year. He has trained with notable success since then and gained his first Group 1 success with Casamento in the Racing Post Trophy at Doncaster in 2010. Michael was closely associated with jockey Shane Foley for over ten years but announced in September 2017 that the County Kilkenny rider would no longer be an automatic first choice on his runners.
Michael reached a milestone of 1,000 winners in Ireland when Foley partnered Platinum Warrior to win the Airlie Stud Gallinule Stakes at the Curragh on Sunday, May 27, 2018.
Tote Galway Mile EBF H'cap (Quinmaster (USA) - J.P. Murtagh - 2006)
Debutante Stakes (Group 2) (Raydara - S. Foley - 2014)
Juddmonte Beresford Stakes (Group 2) (Casamento - P.J. Smullen - 2010)
Bud Light Stakes (Listed) (Snaefell - J.P. Murtagh - 2007)
Kerry Group Noblesse Stakes (Nick's Nikita - R.P. Cleary - 2007)
Ladbrokes.com Irish Lincolnshire (Deauville Vision - J.P. Murtagh - 2007)
Ir.Stallion Farms EBF Autumn(Fillies)Hcp (Nick's Nikita - J.P. Murtagh - 2006)
Social Harmony EBF Irish Cambridgeshire (Hujaylea - C.P. Hoban - 2010)
ladbrokes.com EBF Irish Cambridgeshire (Quinmaster (USA) - J.P. Murtagh - 2006)
Dubai Duty Free Summer (Fillies) H'cap (Sindhia - R.P. Whelan - 2021)
Sportsman's Challenge (Lucies Pride - F.M. Berry - 2007)
Sportsman's Challenge (Newgate Lodge - J.P. Murtagh - 2006)
Oratorio EBF Athasi Stakes (Group 3) (Eastern Appeal - R.P. Cleary - 2007)
Oratorio EBF Athasi Stakes (Group 3) (Jazz Princess - J.P. Murtagh - 2006)
Irish Stallion Farms EBF Brownstown Stks (Group 3) (Miss Sally - F.M. Berry - 2005)
National Lottery Sweepstakes Race (Invincible Ash - G.F. Carroll - 2010)
www.thetote.com September H'cap (Hujaylea - C.P. Hoban - 2010)
Coolmore Stud Home Of Champ.Concorde Stk (Group 3) (Eastern Appeal - M.J. Kinane - 2007)
Coolmore Stud Home Of Champions Concorde (Group 3) (Miss Sally - R.P. Cleary - 2005)
John Roarty Memorial Scurry H'cap (Miss Sally - R.P. Cleary - 2005)