Niall Houlihan

Niall Houlihan

The youngest of three racing-mad brothers from Dungarvan in County Waterford, Niall Houlihan started out working for John Kiely when aged 11, milking his cows just so he could get close to horses. By the age of 13 he was riding out and spent five years there.

He came to Britain in 2018, aged 18, joining Gary Moore’s yard in West Sussex. When he arrived he weighed 11 stone and there was no guarantee that he would have made a jockey. He decided to give himself one year and if it wasn't working out he had the fallback of taking a university course in Ireland. 

His first winner came on his first ride as a conditional for Moore when Eragon De Chanay won at Sandown that November 2018. By the end of his first season in Britain he had ridden seven winners and his career was progressing well.

He enjoyed his biggest success when landing the Clarence House at Cheltemham in 2023 on Editeur Du Gite. He also partnered him to win the Grade 2 Desert Orchid Chase twice (2022/2023) and is the only rider to have won on Moore’s stable favourite Goshen over fences.

However, he was knocked unconscious following a fall at Fontwell in April 2025, the fifth or sixth time he had suffered a concussion. BHA doctor Jerry Hill decided to send him for an MRI scan on the brain. 

When Niall had the scan at the start of May it showed some irregularities. He went to see a neurologist who explained that while the tests showed his brain still worked normally, he felt it wasn't safe for him to continue riding competitively.

He went for a second and third opinion and again they said that while there was no impact to the normal pathways of how he thought and used his brain, they feared the repercussions of another bad fall.

Thus, following extensive tests, he was advised to call time on his career in the saddle at the age of 25. The risks were too great and Dr Hill directed that his licence would not be renewed, which effectively forced Niall into retirement. He announced his decision on August 30, 2025. He had ridden exactly 100 winners during his seven-year career.

Riding his only Grade 1 winner on Editeur Du Gite as a 3lb claimer was his career highlight. He struck up a close rapport with that horse, partnering him 17 times and winning on five occasions.

Reflecting on his time as a professional jockey, he said he felt “blessed” to have lived his dream and was looking to the future with positivity.

“The entire Moore family took me under their wing and gave me a lot of opportunities,” he said. “There’s been some great days and hopefully I paid them back. I’m grateful for what they’ve done for me and I’ve also received great support from my uncle Pat (Phelan), who trains in Epsom, and local trainers Nick Gifford, Richard Rowe, Andy Irvine and Sheena West.

“When I left Ireland my main aim was to be successful in racing and the aim is still the same,” he added. “I might be down but I’m not out. I’ve been to a few sales over the summer and love the breeding side of the industry. Beyond that I love riding out young horses and whatever I do I want to do it properly. It’s a bonus if I can make a living out of it.”

Niall said he would remain part of the team at Gary and Josh Moore’s Cisswood Stables for the time being and, while not ruling anything out, his future looked certain to be in racing.