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Adam Kirby
Adam Kirby
Born in August 1988, Adam Kirby was brought up in Kirtling, near Newmarket. His father, Maurice, had a small farm outside Newmarket and a couple of horses in a shared barn. He employed a Welsh stable hand, known as Taffy, to train and exercise his horses.
Born in August 1988, Adam Kirby was brought up in Kirtling, near Newmarket. His father, Maurice, had a small farm outside Newmarket and a couple of horses in a shared barn. He employed a Welsh stable hand, known as Taffy, to train and exercise his horses.
Adam began riding out for James Fanshawe when aged 12, then served his apprenticeship with Michael Wigham in Newmarket. He made a perfect start to his race-ring career, winning with his first mount on Broughton Knows at Lingfield Park on 1 October 2004.
Adam began riding out for James Fanshawe when aged 12, then served his apprenticeship with Michael Wigham in Newmarket. He made a perfect start to his race-ring career, winning with his first mount on Broughton Knows at Lingfield Park on 1 October 2004.
Clive Cox’s sprint handicapper Out After Dark gave Adam some early victories, including the 2005 Portland Handicap at Doncaster. He became first jockey to Walter Swinburn until Swinburn quit training, winning the valuable John Smith’s Cup at York for him in 2006 on Fairmile.
Clive Cox’s sprint handicapper Out After Dark gave Adam some early victories, including the 2005 Portland Handicap at Doncaster. He became first jockey to Walter Swinburn until Swinburn quit training, winning the valuable John Smith’s Cup at York for him in 2006 on Fairmile.
Over the next few years, he steadily improved his scores. He won two Group 2 races on Excelebration, comprising the Mehl-Mulhens Rennen (German 2,000 Guineas) at Cologne in 2011 and Newbury’s Hungerford Stakes in 2012. He rode over a hundred winners in both 2011 and 2012 and became the 2012/13 all-weather champion jockey, with 91 winners.
Over the next few years, he steadily improved his scores. He won two Group 2 races on Excelebration, comprising the Mehl-Mulhens Rennen (German 2,000 Guineas) at Cologne in 2011 and Newbury’s Hungerford Stakes in 2012. He rode over a hundred winners in both 2011 and 2012 and became the 2012/13 all-weather champion jockey, with 91 winners.
In 2013, he achieved his first Group 1 success aboard the Clive Cox-trained Lethal Force in the Diamond Jubilee Stakes at Royal Ascot. The horse then become one of the sprint stars of the season with an all the way, course record-breaking victory in the July Cup at Newmarket. The same day Adam won the Bunbury Cup on Field Of Dreams.
In 2013, he achieved his first Group 1 success aboard the Clive Cox-trained Lethal Force in the Diamond Jubilee Stakes at Royal Ascot. The horse then become one of the sprint stars of the season with an all the way, course record-breaking victory in the July Cup at Newmarket. The same day Adam won the Bunbury Cup on Field Of Dreams.
In 2014, he won three valuable handicaps: the Lincoln on Ocean Tempest, the Epsom Dash on Caspian Prince, and the Royal Hunt Cup on Field Of Dreams.
In 2014, he won three valuable handicaps: the Lincoln on Ocean Tempest, the Epsom Dash on Caspian Prince, and the Royal Hunt Cup on Field Of Dreams.
In September 2015, he landed Turkey’s International Bosphorus Cup on Connecticut. In 2016 he won the Group 1 King’s Stand Stakes at Royal Ascot on Profitable, also trained by Clive Cox, having missed the birth of his first child in order to take the ride. The next day he won the Prince of Wales’s Stakes on My Dream Boat, that horse having also provided him with victory in the Group 3 Gordon Richards Stakes at Sandown earlier in the season.
In September 2015, he landed Turkey’s International Bosphorus Cup on Connecticut. In 2016 he won the Group 1 King’s Stand Stakes at Royal Ascot on Profitable, also trained by Clive Cox, having missed the birth of his first child in order to take the ride. The next day he won the Prince of Wales’s Stakes on My Dream Boat, that horse having also provided him with victory in the Group 3 Gordon Richards Stakes at Sandown earlier in the season.
In 2017, another Cox-trained horse, Harry Angel, gave him two more Group 1 victories in the July Cup and the Haydock Sprint Cup. He landed another Group 1 in 2020 with Supremacy in Newmarket’s Middle Park Stakes.
In 2017, another Cox-trained horse, Harry Angel, gave him two more Group 1 victories in the July Cup and the Haydock Sprint Cup. He landed another Group 1 in 2020 with Supremacy in Newmarket’s Middle Park Stakes.
In June 2021, Adam won his first British Classic when riding Adayar to victory in the Derby for Godolphin. He was originally going to ride the better-fancied John Leeper, but Frankie Dettori became available following the withdrawal of his intended mount, so Adam lost the ride. Then Godolphin trainer Charlie Appleby called him and said he could ride Adayar.
In June 2021, Adam won his first British Classic when riding Adayar to victory in the Derby for Godolphin. He was originally going to ride the better-fancied John Leeper, but Frankie Dettori became available following the withdrawal of his intended mount, so Adam lost the ride. Then Godolphin trainer Charlie Appleby called him and said he could ride Adayar.
Adayar had to work fairly hard early on in the Derby, as Adam later recalled. “I had to use a bit of petrol the first furlong and a half to get a good position, but from there on it went very smooth he took me into the straight lovely, and luckily we found a gap on the inside. I had a lovely position throughout and he always travelled so I had a great ride and he made things very easy for me.
Adayar had to work fairly hard early on in the Derby, as Adam later recalled. “I had to use a bit of petrol the first furlong and a half to get a good position, but from there on it went very smooth he took me into the straight lovely, and luckily we found a gap on the inside. I had a lovely position throughout and he always travelled so I had a great ride and he made things very easy for me.
“I break Charlie’s yearlings in at our farm and actually broke in Adayar as a yearling. That was the last time I sat on him before I rode him in the Derby.”
“I break Charlie’s yearlings in at our farm and actually broke in Adayar as a yearling. That was the last time I sat on him before I rode him in the Derby.”
Standing 5 foot 11 inches, among of the tallest jockeys in the weighing room, and with 9 stone his minimum weight, Adam could never have been champion jockey, so to win the Derby was a massive occasion for him, a never to be forgotten day.
Standing 5 foot 11 inches, among of the tallest jockeys in the weighing room, and with 9 stone his minimum weight, Adam could never have been champion jockey, so to win the Derby was a massive occasion for him, a never to be forgotten day.
He rode what has so far proved to be the last win of his career on El Bodon, trained by Jane Chapple-Hyam, in a two-year-old novice stakes at Lingfield Park on 22 June 2023. His last ride, at Newmarket’s July Course 18 August 2023, was an ignominious one, with his mount Intelligent, also trained by Jane Chapple-Hyam, refusing to race.
He rode what has so far proved to be the last win of his career on El Bodon, trained by Jane Chapple-Hyam, in a two-year-old novice stakes at Lingfield Park on 22 June 2023. His last ride, at Newmarket’s July Course 18 August 2023, was an ignominious one, with his mount Intelligent, also trained by Jane Chapple-Hyam, refusing to race.
He had had just five winners from 71 rides that season and had been struggling with an ongoing weight battle. In September he confirmed he was taking a break from race-riding but hoped to return to the saddle with a hope of reaching 2,000 winners. Although that target is within reach, he has yet to return and a comeback looks increasingly unlikely.
He had had just five winners from 71 rides that season and had been struggling with an ongoing weight battle. In September he confirmed he was taking a break from race-riding but hoped to return to the saddle with a hope of reaching 2,000 winners. Although that target is within reach, he has yet to return and a comeback looks increasingly unlikely.
He eventually confirmed his retirement from the saddle on 29 April 2025.
He eventually confirmed his retirement from the saddle on 29 April 2025.
Adam Kirby’s Classic winner:
Adam Kirby’s Classic winner:
Derby: Adayar (2021)
Derby: Adayar (2021)
Other major wins include:
Other major wins include:
2005: Portland Handicap – Out After Dark
2005: Portland Handicap – Out After Dark
2006: John Smith’s Cup – Fairmile
2006: John Smith’s Cup – Fairmile
2012: Hungerford Stakes – Excelebration
2012: Hungerford Stakes – Excelebration
2013: Diamond Jubilee Stakes – Lethal Force
2013: Diamond Jubilee Stakes – Lethal Force
2013: July Cup – Lethal Force
2013: July Cup – Lethal Force
2013: Bunbury Cup – Field Of Dreams
2013: Bunbury Cup – Field Of Dreams
2014: Lincoln Handicap – Ocean Tempest
2014: Lincoln Handicap – Ocean Tempest
2014: Epsom Dash – Caspian Prince
2014: Epsom Dash – Caspian Prince
2014: Royal Hunt Cup – Field Of Dreams
2014: Royal Hunt Cup – Field Of Dreams
2016: Gordon Richards Stakes – My Dream Boat
2016: Gordon Richards Stakes – My Dream Boat
2016: King’s Stand Stakes – Profitable
2016: King’s Stand Stakes – Profitable
2016: Prince of Wales’s Stakes – My Dream Boat
2016: Prince of Wales’s Stakes – My Dream Boat
2017: July Cup – Harry Angel
2017: July Cup – Harry Angel
2017: Haydock Sprint Cup – Harry Angel
2017: Haydock Sprint Cup – Harry Angel
2020: Commonwealth Cup – Golden Horse
2020: Commonwealth Cup – Golden Horse
2020: Middle Park Stakes – Supremacy
2020: Middle Park Stakes – Supremacy
In Germany
In Germany
2011: Mehl-Mulhens Rennen (German 2,000 Guineas) – Excelebration
2011: Mehl-Mulhens Rennen (German 2,000 Guineas) – Excelebration
In Turkey
In Turkey
2015: International Bosphorus Cup – Connecticut
2015: International Bosphorus Cup – Connecticut
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