Paul Cooney

Paul Cooney

Article by Alan Trout

Paul James Cooney won three races under National Hunt rules in the mid-1980s.

His first ride was on Cavan Princess, finishing tailed off in the Final Conditional Jockeys’ Selling Hurdle (Division 2) at Windsor on March 4, 1985. 

It was not until the meeting at Cheltenham on October 9, 1986 that he had his initial success. It came when Slip Up, owned and trained by Paul’s boss Fred Gray, led three flights from home and ran on to win the Frenchie Nicholson Conditional Jockeys’ Handicap Hurdle by 15 lengths. 

Paul and Slip Up won again at Ascot on October 29, when they had three lengths to spare at the finish of the Valley Gardens Conditional Jockeys’ Handicap Hurdle. Paul had two more chances on the gelding but they were unplaced on both occasions. 

His third, and final, winner was Virginia Pageant, trained by Fred Gray, in the Border Conditional Jockeys’ Selling Hurdle at Ludlow on March 5, 1987, scoring by ten lengths despite hitting the last flight and hanging right on the run-in. They had one more outing together when finishing second, beaten eight lengths, in the first race at Taunton on May 1, 1987. The remainder of the meeting was abandoned due to the hard ground. 

Despite riding for at least one more season, Paul Cooney had no further success.