Martin Dwyer

Classic-winning jockey Martin Joseph Dwyer was born in Aintree, Liverpool on 28 June 1975. Aged fifteen, he was apprenticed to Ian Balding at Kingsclere and rode his first winner on Susquehanna Days in a one-mile apprentices’ race at Warwick on 9 July 1993. 

He finished second in the 1996 apprentice jockeys’ championship and rode his first Group race winner on Halmahera in the Group 3 Cornwallis Stakes at Ascot on 11 October 1997.

Martin was on board Persian Punch for the final part of that popular stayer’s career, winning six races on him, including the Goodwood Cup and Doncaster Cup in 2003, and back-to-back renewals of the Jockey Club Cup (2002/03). He rode a personal best 106 winners in 2002.

In June 2003 he recorded his first Classic victory – and his first at Group One level – on Casual Look in the Oaks for Kingsclere trainer Andrew Balding. Later that year he achieved Grade One success on Phoenix Reach in the Canadian International at Woodbine. Phoenix Reach also carried him to victory in the 2004 Hong Kong Vase and the 2005 Dubai Sheema Classic. 

In 2005 Martin won the Group One Dewhurst Stakes on the Marcus Tregoning-trained Sir Percy, who, the following year at Epsom, would provide jockey and trainer with the highlight of their respective careers when winning the Derby. 

Martin continued to win good races at home and abroad over the next decade, including the German One Thousand Guineas and Italy’s Group One Grand Criterium, the latter on Navarra for trainer Mick Channon. He spent several winters in India, winning the 2012 Indian Derby on In The Spotlight. 

However, it was not until 2020 that he found himself back in the big time, courtesy of Pyledriver, trained by his father-in-law William Muir. Martin rode him to victory in that year’s King Edward VII Stakes at Royal Ascot and York’s Great Voltigeur Stakes. In 2021 they won the Coronation Cup at Epsom, giving Muir (by then joined by co-trainer Chris Grassick) his first Group One victory. 

Martin rode what turned out to be his final winner on Lucky Ava for Newmarket trainer Conrad Allen in the Irish Thoroughbred Marketing Handicap at Chelmsford on February 3, 2022. The following month, he was injured in a fall while riding out for Brian Meehan, tearing the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee and damaging bone in the same area. He missed the entire Flat turf season and was thus denied the mount on Pyledriver when he recorded a famous victory in the 2022 King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes, ridden by P.J. McDonald. 

Martin underwent two operations on the knee joint but the injury left him unable to get back to a position where his knee could withstand the strains of riding in races. He announced his retirement, aged 48, on 2 July 2023. 

Classic winners:

Oaks: Casual Look (2003)

Derby: Sir Percy (2006)

Other big winners:

1997: Cornwallis Stakes – Halmahera 

1998: Somerset Stakes – Lochangel 

1998: Doncaster Stakes – Two Clubs

1999: Zetland Gold Cup – Shadoof 

2001: Conqueror Stakes – Sheppard’s Watch 

2001: Princess Elizabeth Stakes – Sheppard’s Watch 

2001: Lennox Stakes – Fath 

2001: Mill Reef Stakes – Firebreak

2001: Cornwallis Stakes – Dominica 

2001: Cesarewitch Handicap – Distant Prospect 

2002: Newmarket Stakes – Highdown

2002: Cheshire Oaks – Shadow Dancing

2002: King’s Stand Stakes – Dominica 

2002: Balmoral Handicap – Zargus 

2002: Steventon Stakes – Highdown 

2002: St Hugh’s Stakes – Speed Cop 

2002: Jockey Club Cup – Persian Punch 

2002: November Handicap – Red Wine 

2003: Dahlia Stakes – Aldora 

2003: Predominate Stakes – High Accolade 

2003: Conqueror Stakes – Aldora 

2003: Princess Elizabeth Stakes – Aldora  

2003: Ascot Stakes – Sindapour 

2003: King Edward VII Stakes – High Accolade 

2003: Esher Stakes – Persian Punch

2003: Goodwood Cup – Persian Punch 

2003: Sovereign Stakes – Passing Glance 

2003: City of York Stakes – Vanderlin 

2003: Doncaster Cup – Persian Punch 

2003: Scarborough Stakes – Dubaian Gift

2003: Royal Lodge Stakes – Snow Ridge 

2003: Cumberland Lodge Stakes – High Accolade 

2003: Jockey Club Cup – Persian Punch 

2003: Churchill Stakes – Compton Bolter 

2004: Predominate Stakes – Manyana 

2004: Heron Stakes – Tahreeb 

2004: Diomed Stakes – Passing Glance 

2004: Cumberland Lodge Stakes – High Accolade 

2004: Somerville Tattersall Stakes – Diktatorial 

2004: St Simon Stakes – Orcadian 

2005: Weatherbys Super Sprint – Lady Livius 

2005: Vintage Stakes – Sir Percy 

2005: Dewhurst Stakes – Sir Percy 

2005: Darley Stakes – Enforcer 

2006: Doncaster Mile – Vanderlin 

2006: John Porter Stakes – Mubtaker 

2006: Newmarket Stakes – Mulaqat 

2006: Zetland Gold Cup – Chantaco 

2006: Park Hill Stakes – Rising Cross 

2006: Cornwallis Stakes – Alzerra 

2007: Windsor Castle Stakes – Drawnfromthepast 

2008: Easter Stakes – Il Warrd 

2008: Pretty Polly Stakes – Saphira’s Fire 

2008: Tattersalls Timeform Million – Donativum 

2008: November Handicap – Tropical Strait 

2009: John Porter Stakes – Enroller 

2009: Victoria Cup – Swift Gift 

2009: Pipalong Stakes – Rosaleen

2009: July Stakes – Arcano 

2009: Princess Margaret Stakes – Lady Of The Desert 

2009: Lowther Stakes – Lady Of The Desert 

2010: Prestige Stakes – Theyskens’ Theory 

2010: Old Newton Cup – Dangerous Midge 

2010: Dick Poole Fillies’ Stakes – Brevity 

2010: Dubai Duty-Free Arc Trial – Dangerous Midge 

2011: Michel Seely Memorial Stakes – Theyskens’ Theory 

2011: Buckingham Palace Handicap – Manassas 

2011: Ripon Champion Two-Year-Old Trophy – Geronimo Meadow 

2011: Serenia Stakes – Shumoos 

2012: Hopeful Stakes – Hitchens 

2013: Beverley Bullet Sprint Stakes – Stepper Point 

2014: Hever Sprint Stakes – Stepper Point

2014: Doncaster Stakes – Code Red 

2015: Surrey Stakes – Code Red 

2017: Royal Hunt Cup – Zhui Feng 

2018: Midsummer Stakes – Zhui Feng 

2018: Horris Hill Stakes – Mohaather 

2019: Cecil Frail Stakes – Forever In Dreams 

2019: Princess Royal Stakes – Spirit Of Appin 

2020: King Edward VII Stakes – Pyledriver

2020: Great Voltigeur Stakes – Pyledriver 

2021: Coronation Cup – Pyledriver 

2021: Churchill Stakes – Pyledriver 

In Ireland 

2014: Derrinstown Stud Flying Five Stakes – Stepper Point 

In France

1999: Prix Contessina – Two Clubs 

2001: Prix de Cabourg – Firebreak 

2002: Prix Guillaume d’Omano – Highdown 

In Germany 

2003: Oettingen-Rennen – Passing Glance 

2004: Volkswagen-Preis der Deutschen Einheit – Omikron 

2008: German One Thousand Guineas – Briseida 

In Italy

2011: Gran Criterium – Navarra 

In Canada

2003: Canadian International – Phoenix Reach 

2005: Wonder Where Stakes – Silver Highlight 

2005: Play The King Handicap – Vanderlin 

In Hong Kong

2004: Hong Kong Vase – Phoenix Reach 

In Dubai

2005: Dubai Sheema Classic – Phoenix Reach 

2007: Jebel Ali Sprint – Taqseem 

In India

2012: Indian Derby – In The Spotlight