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Murtagh retires from riding

Johnny Murtagh exults after guiding Yeats to an unprecedented fourth straight victory in the Ascot Gold Cup  (Frank Sorge/Horsephotos.com) Five-time Irish champion jockey Johnny Murtagh, who took out his trainer's license in Ireland last year, has announced his retirement from race riding to focus on his training career. "The training side of things is getting bigger all the time, and I wasn't happy giving the riding 50 percent and the training 50 percent," Murtagh told PA Sport. "It's the right time to call it a day with the riding and put everything into the training side of things." Murtagh, who turns 44 this year, rode his first winner in 1987, and became stable jockey to John Oxx in 1992. During his 11-year tenure with the Curragh-based trainer, Murtagh earned 18 Group 1 victories for The Aga Khan. He was on board for Sinndar's wins in the Epsom and Irish Derbies, as well as the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe, and also won the Irish Oaks aboard Ebadiyla. Murtagh, who has won all the Irish classics as well as the Two Thousand Guineas twice, won a further two Epsom Derbies, aboard High Chaparral and Motivator, and in 2008 he took up the position of stable jockey to Coolmore. He also posted three victories in Breeders' Cup races.

In 2008, he rode 19 Group 1 winners, followed by 10 in 2009. Amongst his standout mounts during this time were four-time Group 1 winner and classic hero Mastercraftsman; Duke of Marmalade, winner of five consecutive Group 1s in 2008; transatlantic Group/Grade 1 winner and Eclipse champion Cape Blanco; three-time Group 1-winning miler Henrythenavigator, and Sussex, Queen Elizabeth II and Juddmonte International scorer Rip Van Winkle.

Murtagh was also aboard Yeats for the legendary stayer's historic third and fourth Gold Cup victories at Royal Ascot, and rode Rock of Gibraltar to seven consecutive Group 1 victories in 2001-02. After resigning from the Coolmore post in 2010, Murtagh went to work again for Oxx and The Aga Khan. He won the Prix de Diane aboard Valyra in 2012, and also during that time period won the 2011 Epsom Oaks aboard Dancing Rain.

After spending a few years working alongside trainer Tommy Carmody at Fox Covert Stables at The Curragh, Murtagh was granted his trainer's license last year. He took over Fox Covert and experienced immediate success, winning a pair of Group 3 races with former Irish St Leger victor Royal Diamond, and the Blandford Stakes with Belle de Crecy, both of which he also rode.

Murtagh continued to perform with outstanding success as a jockey last year, collecting five Group 1 victories: the King George VI & Queen Elizabeth with Novellist, the King's Stand aboard Sole Power, the Haydock Sprint Cup on Gordon Lord Byron, the Irish Oaks aboard Chicquita and the Pretty Polly with Ambivalent. He earned the leading rider title at Royal Ascot for the fifth time last year.

Murtagh retires from the saddle with more than 100 Group 1 wins, including 25 classic victories in four countries and wins in all of Royal Ascot's Group 1 races.

"I've done extremely well, and when you look at the list of horses I've ridden, there have been some brilliant horses," Murtagh said. "It would be unfair to pick out one, but there were a number of special days. My first Derby win aboard Sinndar was obviously a huge thing, and then Yeats was an incredible horse to be associated with. I suppose winning on Sole Power in the King's Stand last year was massive for me as well. Just the way the race went and getting up on the line -- you know when you get it right. Riding and training Royal Diamond to win on Champions Day last year at Ascot (in the Long Distance Cup). That was something very special as well.

"I was very lucky to ride for some great people," Murtagh continued. "I got along with them all and still do. It's been brilliant. When you are riding you can take all the big winners for granted, but when you sit back and think about it, I've been very lucky. I'm coming up 44 this year and my first Group 1 was on Manntari for Mr. Oxx in 1993 (National Stakes at The Curragh). Someone texted me earlier saying I had 105 Group 1 winners, but my wife thinks it's 107.

"I've been all over the world riding, I've met some lovely people and it's been a great experience. I didn't ride a horse until I was 15 and it's been fantastic, but it's now time to move on to the next chapter in my life. We have 45 horses in training at the moment, including 20 two-year-olds and we have a few new owners. I have the same expectations as when I was riding -- the standards are still the same. If we get a bit of luck and a good horse comes along, we'll get there."

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