Ciarán Mckee

Ciarán Mckee worked for Alan King before joining Gloucestershire-based trainer John O’Shea as a jump jockey and riding ten winners for him.

When rising weight became an issue, he gave up riding and joined Tom George as head lad. After a few years there, during which time he’d got married and his weight had stabilised, he returned to John O’Shea, looking to revitalise his career. He took up the post of head lad, with the trainer promising whatever rides he could get for him.

Ciarán rode 15 winners on the Flat in 2015 but stopped riding in 2017 when once more getting a bit too heavy. However, he missed riding in races and renewed his jockey’s licence in 2020.

He rode his first winner for five years when the Clog Na Fola, trained by his long-time supporter John O’Shea, landed a six-furlong handicap at Bath on 6 April 2021.

He finally called time on his riding career after coming from last to first on 80-1 rank outsider Macs Dilemma to land a seven-furlong handicap at Wolverhampton for John O’Shea on 22 December 2021. It was just his second winner since his comeback.

There was no dream double on the day, as his final career ride, the O’Shea-trained Bolly Bullet, finished last in the six-furlong handicap later on the card.

John O’Shea was full of praise for the jockey, saying: “His work ethic is second to none; there is nobody in racing that would deserve a couple of winners more than him.”

Having announced his retirement from the saddle, Ciarán then joined the British Horseracing Authority to become a starter. By February 2022 he was already acting as a starter at Wolverhampton.