George McGrath
George McGrath
Born on January 28, 1943, George McGrath was twice champion jockey in Ireland and also a champion apprentice.
He joined Summerseat, Co Meath trainer Kevin Kerr as an apprentice and soon made an impression, riding eight winners from 39 mounts in 1960, his first season. He rode out his 7lb claim when winning on the Kerr-trained Royal Buck at Phoenix Park on May 27, 1961, then rode his first as a 5lb claimer on Orofino, also for Kerr, at Mullingar four days later.
He secured his first big race victory when guiding Royal Buck to a two-length success in the Hennessy Handicap at Phoenix Park on August 9, 1961, finishing the season with a score of 25 winners from 133 mounts.
In 1962 he partnered 33 winners from 190 mounts, making him Ireland’s champion apprentice and placing him fourth overall in the jockeys’ table. His major wins that year included Down Royal’s Lyle and Kinahan Tuborg Trophy on El Paso; Phoenix Park’s Enniskillen Stakes and Phoenix Stakes, both on Irish Chorus; Leopardstown’s Sugar Loaf Handicap on Honour Bound; and the Curragh’s Rockingham Handicap on Lady Courine; all of them trained by Kevin Kerr.
George rode 24 winners from 214 mounts in 1963, including the Harp Handicap at Dundalk on Celtic Park and the Birdcatcher Nursery at Naas on Arms Park, both for Kevin Kerr, and the Trigo Stakes at the Curragh on the Vincent O’Brien-trained Ashavan.
He posted 28 wins from 233 mounts in 1964, highlighted by victories in the Ballymoss Stakes on Ballyrowan for Paddy Norris and the Anglesey Stakes on Green Banner for Kevin Kerr. He then became stable jockey to Seamus McGrath at Glencairn, Co Dublin, in 1965 – he was no relation to the trainer, the similarity in surnames being purely coincidental – and won the first of his two Irish jockeys’ championships that year with 44 wins from 281 mounts. They included the Pretty Polly Stakes on Messene, George’s first big race success for Seamus McGrath.
Over the next thirteen years, Seamus McGrath and George McGrath would become dominant forces on the Irish racing scene, combining to land a host of Group races and providing strong rivalry to the mighty Vincent O’Brien stable. Their big winners included Bog Road, Park Lawn, Silk Buds, Poacher’s Moon and Ballad Rock.
In 1970 George rode his first Irish Classic winner, Allangrange, trained by Seamus McGrath, in the Irish St Leger, and was crowned champion jockey for the second time.
He fulfilled his greatest ambition by winning the Irish Derby in 1973 on Weavers’ Hall, owned and trained by Seamus McGrath. Following that success, Weavers’ Hall only made one more racecourse appearance, when finishing fourth to Dahlia in that year’s King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Ascot.
The following year, George won the Irish Two Thousand Guineas on Furry Glen, also trained by Seamus McGrath.
When Seamus McGrath wound down his training operation in 1978, George joined Richard Annesley’s Curragh stable. However, with the closure of Annesley’s stable a year later, he found good rides less plentiful.
His forceful, bustling style continued to show him to good effect when opportunities allowed, particularly at Leopardstown, where he had few peers. In the autumn of his career in the early 1980s, he forged a successful partnership with Vincent O’Brien, which led to him winning a fourth and final Classic, the 1984 Irish Two Thousand Guineas on Sadler’s Wells, probably the best horse he rode during a long and distinguished career.
Irish Classic winners:
St Leger: Allangrange (1970)
Derby: Weavers’ Hall (1973)
Two Thousand Guineas: Furry Glen (1974), Sadler’s Wells (1984)
Other big winners in Ireland include:
1961: Henessy Handicap – Royal Buck
1962: Lyle and Kinahan Tuborg Trophy Handicap – El Paso
1962: Enniskillen Stakes – Irish Chorus
1962: Sugar Loaf Handicap – Honour Bound
1962: Phoenix Stakes – Irish Chorus
1962: Rockingham Handicap – Lady Courine
1963: Harp Handicap – Celtic Park
1963: Birdcatcher Nursery Handicap – Arms Park
1963: Trigo Stakes – Ashavan
1964: Ballymoss Stakes – Ballyrowan
1964: Anglesey Stakes – Green Banner
1965: Pretty Polly Stakes – Messene
1966: Waterford Testimonial Stakes – Desert Call
1967: Railway Stakes – Sans-Fin
1968: Royal Whip Stakes – Stitch
1969: Vauxhall Stakes – Santamoss
1969: Silken Glider Stakes – French Score
1969: Park Stakes – Royal Words
1970: Vauxhall Stakes – Illa Laudo
1970: Silken Glider Stakes – Ballet Francais
1971: Phoenix Stakes – Celtic Twilight
1971: Silken Glider Stakes – Elite
1972: Gallinule Stakes – Bog Road
1972: Railway Stakes – Park Lawn
1973: Whitehall Stakes – Bog Road
1973: Silken Glider Stakes – Silk Buds
1973: Park Stakes – Silk Buds
1974: National Stakes – Reap The Wind
1974: Ballymoss Stakes – Bog Road
1974: Whitehall Stakes – Furry Glen
1974: Park Stakes – Small World
1976: Tetrarch Stakes – Poacher’s Moon
1977: Silken Glider Stakes – Dolly Dewdrop
1978: Greenlands Stakes – Ballad Rock
1978: Matt Gallagher Sprint – Ballad Rock
1980: Joe McGrath Memorial Stakes – Gregorian
1980: Beresford Stakes – Euclid
1981: Vauxhall Stakes – Cooliney Prince
1984: Derrinstown Stud Derby Trial Stakes – Sadler’s Wells
1984: Park Stakes – Jolly Saint