Paul Hanagan

Paul Hanagan


Paul Hanagan was twice Britain’s champion jockey and rode over 2,000 winners, including ten Group 1 races, during a 25-year career between 1998 and 2023. 


Paul Geoffrey Hanagan was born in Warrington, Cheshire, on September 8, 1980, and attended Sir Thomas Boteler High School. On leaving school, he became apprenticed initially to Malcolm Jefferson and then to Richard Fahey, both based at Malton. He had his first ride when finishing fourth on Stone Beck, trained by Jefferson, in the Norwest Holst Construction Handicap at Haydock Park on September 4, 1998. Haydock was also the venue for his first winner, Pandjojoe, trained by Fahey, in the six-furlong Monk’s Heath Apprentice Handicap on May 28, 1999. 


He achieved his first high-profile success when winning the 2002 John Smith’s Cup at York on Vintage Premium, ending that year as champion apprentice with 81 winners. 


Paul registered his first Group race win on Golden Legacy in the 2004 Firth of Clyde Stakes at Ayr. His first Group 1 victory came courtesy of Wootton Bassett in the 2010 Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere at Longchamp. 


He was crowned champion jockey for the first time in 2010 with 191 wins, then successfully defended his title the following year with a score of 165. His most successful calendar year was 2010 with 205 winners, 14 of which fell outside the official Flat racing season, while during 2011 he rode 177 altogether, a dozen of them outside the main season. 


Having ridden for Richard Fahey from 1998 to 2011, his career reached its peak when he was appointed the retained rider for Sheikh Hamdan Al Maktoum’s powerful Shadwell operation in 2012, a position he retained until 2016. 


During those years he achieved most of his greatest triumphs, notably with the filly Taghrooda, guiding her to victory in the 2014 Oaks, his sole British Classic success, and the King George VI And Queen Elizabeth Stakes before finishing third to Treve in the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe.


Other major successes while riding for Shadwell included the 2014 Eclipse Stakes on Mukhadram, the July Cup twice on Mayson (2012) and Muhaarar (2015), the UAE 2,000 Guineas twice and the UAE Oaks. His richest prize, £816,327, came in the 2016 Dubai Golden Shaheen on Muarrab.

When replaced by Jim Crowley as Shadwell’s retained jockey in 2017, Paul returned to ride for Richard Fahey until 2022, winning the British Champions Sprint Stakes in 2018 on Sands Of Mali.

In February 2020 he suffered a serious fall that resulted in three fractured vertebrae and a prolonged period on the sidelines, eventually returning to action in August that year and steering Majestic Dawn to a popular victory in the Cambridgeshire the following month. Then, on November 3 that year, he rode his 2,000th win in Britain on Anif at Newcastle.


His last two wins were for trainer Craig Lidster, namely Macarone at Beverley in a five-furlong nursery handicap on 17 August 2023, providing a first-ever success for the owners of the Rob Burrow Racing Club, set up to raise funds and awareness for Motoneuron Disease Association and The Rob Burrow Discretionary Trust; and Almarada Prince in a Thirsk two-year-old maiden the next day.

He announced his retirement, aged 42, the following week, feeling it was the right time to depart the weighing room. He had his final competitive ride on the Richard Fahey-trained  Wootton Sun, who finished twelfth in the Sky Bet Handicap at York on August 25, 2023. He retired having ridden a total of 2,109 winners in Britain. 


British Classic winner:

Oaks: Taghrooda (2014)


Other major wins:

2002: John Smith’s Cup – Vintage Premium

2003: Atalanta Stakes – Lady Bear J 

2004: Northumberland Plate – Mirian 

2004: Firth of Clyde Stakes – Golden Legacy 

2004: Oh So Sharp Stakes – Penkenna Princess 

2004: Montrose Fillies’ Stakes – Squaw Sance 

2006: totepool Silver Bowl Handicap – Anna Pavlova 

2006: Galtres Stakes – Anna Pavlova 

2006: Ayr Gold Cup – Fonthill Road 

2006: Harvest Stakes – Anna Pavlova 

2007: Salsabil Stakes – Anna Pavlova 

2007: Chester Cup – Greenwich Meantime 

2007: Temple Stakes – Sierra Vista 

2007: Doonside Cup – Anna Pavlova 

2008: Lancashire Oaks – Anna Pavlova 

2008: Chipchase Stakes – Utmost Respect 

2009: Duke of York Stakes – Utmost Respect 

2009: Chipchase Stakes – Knot In Wood 

2009: Lancashire Oaks – Barshiba 

2010: Cammidge Trophy – Inxile 

2010: Windsor Castle Stakes – Marine Commando 

2010: Summer Stakes – Rose Blossom 

2010: DBS Premier Yearling Stakes – Wootton Bassett 

2010: Weatherbys Insurance £300,000 2-Y-O Stakes – Wootton Bassett 

2010: Harry Rosebery Stakes – Arctic Feeling 

2010: Guisborough Stakes – Harrison George 

2011: Nell Gwyn Stakes- Barefoot Lady 

2011: Pretty Polly Stakes – Dorcas Lane 

2011: Dee Stakes – Glen’s Diamond 

2011: Marygate Fillies’ Stakes – Miss Work Of Art 

2011: Harry Rosebery Stakes – Caledonia Lady 

2012: Abernant Stakes – Mayson 

2012: Palace House Stakes – Mayson 

2012: July Stakes – Alhebayeb 

2012: July Cup – Mayson 

2012: Glasgow Stakes – Sparkling Portrait 

2012: £500,000 Tattersalls Millions 2-Y-O Trophy – Ghurair 

2012: Bosra Sham Fillies’ Stakes – Melbourne Memories 

2013: Brigadier Gerard Stakes – Mukhadram  

2013: July Stakes – Aniaal 

2013: Summer Mile Stakes – Aliamaaheer 

2013: Hackwood Stakes – Heeraat 

2013: Weatherbys Super Sprint – Peniaphobia 

2013: York Stakes – Mukhadram 

2013: Stonehenge Stakes – Washaaar 

2013: Joel Stakes – Soft Falling Rain 

2014: Pretty Polly Stakes – Taghrooda 

2014: Sandringham Handicap – Muteela 

2014: Eclipse Stakes – Mukhadram 

2014: Superlative Stakes – Estidkhaar 

2014: King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes – Taghrooda 

2014: Gimcrack Stakes – Muhaarar

2014: Champagne Stakes – Estidkhaar 

2014: John Musker Fillies’ Stakes – Hadaatha 

2015: Pinnacle Stakes – Miss Marjurie 

2015: Sandy Lane Stakes – Adaay 

2015: Wolferton Handicap – Mahsoob 

2015: Coral Charge (The Sprint Stakes) – Waady 

1025: Bunbury Cup – Rene Mathis 

2015: July Cup – Muhaarar 

2015: Rose Bowl Stakes – Tasleet 

2015: King George Stakes – Muthmir 

2015: Rose of Lancaster Stakes – Intilaaq 

2015: Hungerford Stakes – Adaay 

2015: DBS Premier Yearling Stakes – Tasleet 

2015: City of York Stakes – Fadhayyil 

2015: British Champions Sprint Stakes – Muhaarar

2016: European Free Handicap – Ibn Malik 

2016: Earl of Sefton Stakes – Mahsoob 

2016: Greenham Stakes – Tasleet 

2016: Rose Bowl Stakes – Mokarris 

2016: Bonham Thoroughbred Stakes – Thikrivaat 

2017: Queensferry Stakes – Kimbrella 

2017: Gimcrack Stakes – Sands Of Mali 

2018: Kilvington Stakes – Pretty Baby 

2018: Sandy Lane Stakes – Sands Of Mali 

2018: Eternal Stakes – Dance Diva 

2018: Bunbury Cup – Burnt Sugar 

2018: Queensferry Stakes – Kimbrella 

2018: British Champion Sprint Stakes – Sands Of Mali 

2019: Land O’Burns Fillies’ Stakes – Rebecca Rocks 

2019: Eternal Stakes – Tapisserie 

2018: Pipalong Stakes – Exhort 

2019: Summer Stakes – Royal Intervention 

2020: Scottish Sprint Fillies’ Stakes – Exceptional 

2020: Firth of Clyde Fillies’ Stakes – Umm Kulthum 

2020: Cambridgeshire Handicap – Majestic Dawn 

2020: Silver Tankard Stakes – Pythagoras 

2021: Norfolk Stakes – Perfect Power 

2021: Beverley Bullet – Tis Marvellous 

2022: Norfolk Stakes – The Ridler 

2022: Beverley Bullet – Tis Marvelous 


In France

2008: Prix de Seine-et-Oise – Utmost Respect

2015: Prix du Gros-Chene – Muthmir 

2015: Prix Maurice de Gheest – Muhaarar 

2018: Prix Sigy – Sands Of Mali 


In Dubai

2013: UAE 2,000 Guineas – Soft Falling Rain 

2013: Al Fahidi Fort – Mushreq 

2013: UAE Oaks – Shuruq 

2013: Godolphin Mile – Soft Falling Rain 

2014: Singspiel Stakes – Mushreq 

2015: UAE 2,000 Guineas – Maftool 

2015: Firebreak Stakes – Tamarkuz 

2015: Nad Al Sheba Trophy – Almoonqith 

2015: Jebal Ali Sprint – Muarrab 

2015: Burj Nahaar – Tamarkuz 

2015: Godolphin Mile – Tamarkuz 

2016: Jebel Ali Mile – Sefri 

2016: Mahab Al Shimaal – Muarrib 

2016: Meydan Sprint – Fityaan 

2016: Abu Dhabi Championship – Khusoosy 

2016: Dubai Golden Shaheen – Muarrab