Alan Daly
Alan Daly was born on October 5, 1974 and rode 203 winners from over 3,500 rides in a 15-year riding career on the Flat. He rode in several countries including America, Dubai, Australia and Kuwait. He was also a handy boxer, winning the Stable Lads Boxing Championships four years running from 1993 to 1996, and was only beaten twice in 18 fights.
Alan Daly was born on October 5, 1974 and rode 203 winners from over 3,500 rides in a 15-year riding career on the Flat. He rode in several countries including America, Dubai, Australia and Kuwait. He was also a handy boxer, winning the Stable Lads Boxing Championships four years running from 1993 to 1996, and was only beaten twice in 18 fights.
He cited winning the apprentices’ race at Epsom on Global Dancer on Derby Day 1995 as the pivotal moment which paved the way to establishing himself as a jockey. Other highlights include his association with Bill Turner’s speedy juvenile The Lord, on whom he won the Brocklesby and the Lily Agnes Stakes in 2002, plus the valuable Musselburgh Sprint three yeas later.
He cited winning the apprentices’ race at Epsom on Global Dancer on Derby Day 1995 as the pivotal moment which paved the way to establishing himself as a jockey. Other highlights include his association with Bill Turner’s speedy juvenile The Lord, on whom he won the Brocklesby and the Lily Agnes Stakes in 2002, plus the valuable Musselburgh Sprint three yeas later.
Aged 34, he retired on a winner after booting home Desert Dreamer in a seven-furlong seller at Lingfield on March 18, 2009. He celebrated with a spectacular flying Frankie Dettori leap. He said afterwards, “There is no doubt I will miss racing and I feel privileged to have lived that dream, but I was fed up with starving myself and sitting in the sauna for two to three hours a day to lose weight.”
Aged 34, he retired on a winner after booting home Desert Dreamer in a seven-furlong seller at Lingfield on March 18, 2009. He celebrated with a spectacular flying Frankie Dettori leap. He said afterwards, “There is no doubt I will miss racing and I feel privileged to have lived that dream, but I was fed up with starving myself and sitting in the sauna for two to three hours a day to lose weight.”
During his time in the saddle he’d dabbled with various sidelines. He’d been a lorry driver, a builder, a painter and decorator, a furniture removal man, and had stacked shelves at Asda in Swindon. He even drove a massive combine harvester.
During his time in the saddle he’d dabbled with various sidelines. He’d been a lorry driver, a builder, a painter and decorator, a furniture removal man, and had stacked shelves at Asda in Swindon. He even drove a massive combine harvester.
However, he was keen to find something fulfilling for his ‘second life’ and turned to JETS, the Jockeys Employment Training Scheme, who set the ball rolling by sending him for HGV training, which happened to be next door to the training centre for Wiltshire Fire Brigade. That immediately caught his imagination. He put on two stone in weight, took and passed all the relevant courses and joined Surrey Fire and Rescue Service as a firefighter. He is now based at Cobham Fire Station in Surrey.
However, he was keen to find something fulfilling for his ‘second life’ and turned to JETS, the Jockeys Employment Training Scheme, who set the ball rolling by sending him for HGV training, which happened to be next door to the training centre for Wiltshire Fire Brigade. That immediately caught his imagination. He put on two stone in weight, took and passed all the relevant courses and joined Surrey Fire and Rescue Service as a firefighter. He is now based at Cobham Fire Station in Surrey.