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Denis O’Regan is the only jockey to complete the full set of riding a winner at all 85 current UK and Irish National Hunt tracks. Renowned for his quiet style in the saddle, he rode four Cheltenham Festival winners and won seven Grade One races during a 23-year career.
Denis O’Regan is the only jockey to complete the full set of riding a winner at all 85 current UK and Irish National Hunt tracks. Renowned for his quiet style in the saddle, he rode four Cheltenham Festival winners and won seven Grade One races during a 23-year career.
Born in Youghal, County Cork, on March 24, 1982, Denis Francis O’Regan began his career as an amateur rider and rode his first winner on All Honey, trained by Francis Flood, in a pro-am bumper at Listowel on April 24, 2001.
Born in Youghal, County Cork, on March 24, 1982, Denis Francis O’Regan began his career as an amateur rider and rode his first winner on All Honey, trained by Francis Flood, in a pro-am bumper at Listowel on April 24, 2001.
Among the other bumper winners he partnered as a 7lb-claiming amateur were Georges Girl at Wexford, Aimees Mark at Roscommon, and They Call Me Molly at Punchestown, all of whom went on to be particularly useful horses.
Among the other bumper winners he partnered as a 7lb-claiming amateur were Georges Girl at Wexford, Aimees Mark at Roscommon, and They Call Me Molly at Punchestown, all of whom went on to be particularly useful horses.
He turned professional in September 2003 and his first winner in the paid ranks came on just his second ride, again at Listowel, when the Frank Ennis-trained Rupununi won a maiden hurdle at the September festival.
He turned professional in September 2003 and his first winner in the paid ranks came on just his second ride, again at Listowel, when the Frank Ennis-trained Rupununi won a maiden hurdle at the September festival.
Denis lost his 7lb claim on Vic Ville for Michael Hourigan in a Naas pro-am bumper on January 4, 2004, before going to Noel Meade’s yard as understudy to Paul Carberry. He soon established himself as one of the top jump jockeys and a big early success came when he won the Galway Plate on Ansar for trainer Dermot Weld in 2005. He won his first Grade 1 event when the Charlie Swan-trained Offshore Account won the Champion Novice Chase at the Punchestown festival in 2007.
Denis lost his 7lb claim on Vic Ville for Michael Hourigan in a Naas pro-am bumper on January 4, 2004, before going to Noel Meade’s yard as understudy to Paul Carberry. He soon established himself as one of the top jump jockeys and a big early success came when he won the Galway Plate on Ansar for trainer Dermot Weld in 2005. He won his first Grade 1 event when the Charlie Swan-trained Offshore Account won the Champion Novice Chase at the Punchestown festival in 2007.
The following season, Denis moved to England to become first jockey to top northern trainer Howard Johnson and owner Graham Wylie. During their relatively brief association he won the 2008 World (now Stayers’) Hurdle on Inglis Drever and in the same week landed the Arkle Chase on Tidal Bay.
The following season, Denis moved to England to become first jockey to top northern trainer Howard Johnson and owner Graham Wylie. During their relatively brief association he won the 2008 World (now Stayers’) Hurdle on Inglis Drever and in the same week landed the Arkle Chase on Tidal Bay.
He won the Becher Chase at Aintree in 2008 on the Dessie Hughes-trained Black Apalachi. They went on to be second to Don’t Push It in the 2010 Grand National won by Tony McCoy. Denis rode in a total of 13 Grand Nationals between 2007 and 2022 but that second place finish was the closest he came to winning the world the world famous steeplechase.
He won the Becher Chase at Aintree in 2008 on the Dessie Hughes-trained Black Apalachi. They went on to be second to Don’t Push It in the 2010 Grand National won by Tony McCoy. Denis rode in a total of 13 Grand Nationals between 2007 and 2022 but that second place finish was the closest he came to winning the world the world famous steeplechase.
Cape Tribulation won at both the Cheltenham and Aintree Festivals in 2012 for Denis and trainer Malcolm Jefferson, and a year later the same horse won the Cotswold Chase at Cheltenham. He ended 2013 with a Grade One victory on the John Ferguson-trained Ruacana in the Finale Juvenile Hurdle.
Cape Tribulation won at both the Cheltenham and Aintree Festivals in 2012 for Denis and trainer Malcolm Jefferson, and a year later the same horse won the Cotswold Chase at Cheltenham. He ended 2013 with a Grade One victory on the John Ferguson-trained Ruacana in the Finale Juvenile Hurdle.
In 2015 he won the Galway Hurdle on Quick Jack for Tony Martin, returning to Ireland in 2016 to take up a role as retained rider to leading owner Barry Connell. The pair enjoyed Cheltenham Festival success the following March when Tully East, trained by Alan Fleming, won the Close Brothers Novices’ Handicap Chase. Their association ended in July of 2018, and from then on Denis rode as a freelance.
In 2015 he won the Galway Hurdle on Quick Jack for Tony Martin, returning to Ireland in 2016 to take up a role as retained rider to leading owner Barry Connell. The pair enjoyed Cheltenham Festival success the following March when Tully East, trained by Alan Fleming, won the Close Brothers Novices’ Handicap Chase. Their association ended in July of 2018, and from then on Denis rode as a freelance.
His seventh and final Grade One win was achieved on Beacon Edge for Noel Meade in the 2021 Drinmore Novice Chase at Fairyhouse.
His seventh and final Grade One win was achieved on Beacon Edge for Noel Meade in the 2021 Drinmore Novice Chase at Fairyhouse.
On Monday, November 6, 2023 he achieved a notable milestone of becoming the first jockey to ride a winner at every current jumps track in Britain and Ireland when guiding Fiveonefive, trained by Cian Collins, to justify odds-on favouritism in a two-mile novice hurdle at Hereford, the only track to have eluded him. He had finished second on three of his nine rides when attempting to achieve the feat at Hereford the previous season.
On Monday, November 6, 2023 he achieved a notable milestone of becoming the first jockey to ride a winner at every current jumps track in Britain and Ireland when guiding Fiveonefive, trained by Cian Collins, to justify odds-on favouritism in a two-mile novice hurdle at Hereford, the only track to have eluded him. He had finished second on three of his nine rides when attempting to achieve the feat at Hereford the previous season.
Norman Williamson rode a winner at every jumps track in Britain and Ireland but retired six years before Ffos Las opened in 2009.
Norman Williamson rode a winner at every jumps track in Britain and Ireland but retired six years before Ffos Las opened in 2009.
That Hereford victory turned out to be the last of his career. With it coming for trainer Cian Collins, it was fitting he brought the curtain down on his career on another of Collins’ horses, 150-1 outsider Solly Attwell, who finished last of 16 in the Kilbarry Pub & Kitchen Maiden Hurdle at Navan on Saturday, November 18, 2023. Aged 41, Denis announced his retirement immediately after the race.
That Hereford victory turned out to be the last of his career. With it coming for trainer Cian Collins, it was fitting he brought the curtain down on his career on another of Collins’ horses, 150-1 outsider Solly Attwell, who finished last of 16 in the Kilbarry Pub & Kitchen Maiden Hurdle at Navan on Saturday, November 18, 2023. Aged 41, Denis announced his retirement immediately after the race.
Explaining his decision to stop, Denis told the Racing Post: “Since I got that winner at Hereford the other day my mojo is gone and the time is right. I'm ready to not be a jockey anymore.”
Explaining his decision to stop, Denis told the Racing Post: “Since I got that winner at Hereford the other day my mojo is gone and the time is right. I'm ready to not be a jockey anymore.”
He added: “You need goals and when Hereford was done, it’s hard to find another one – unless you’ve got a good horse, and I don’t have six or seven Grade One horses, so I thought it was a good time.
He added: “You need goals and when Hereford was done, it’s hard to find another one – unless you’ve got a good horse, and I don’t have six or seven Grade One horses, so I thought it was a good time.
“It’s the local track for me here, I’ve been very lucky here, my wife and my kids are here, there’s a lot of support and I wanted to go out on one of Cian’s. It didn’t have to be a winner and I’m delighted with that.”
“It’s the local track for me here, I’ve been very lucky here, my wife and my kids are here, there’s a lot of support and I wanted to go out on one of Cian’s. It didn’t have to be a winner and I’m delighted with that.”
His big winners included:
His big winners included:
2005: Galway Plate – Ansar
2005: Galway Plate – Ansar
2007: Champion Novice Chase (Punchestown) – Offshore Account
2007: Champion Novice Chase (Punchestown) – Offshore Account
2007: Close Brothers Novices’ Handicap Chase – Tully East
2007: Close Brothers Novices’ Handicap Chase – Tully East
2007: Long Distance Hurdle (Newbury) – Inglis Drever
2007: Long Distance Hurdle (Newbury) – Inglis Drever
2008: World (Stayers’) Hurdle – Inglis Drever
2008: World (Stayers’) Hurdle – Inglis Drever
2008: Arkle Challenge Trophy – Tidal Bay
2008: Arkle Challenge Trophy – Tidal Bay
2008: Maghull Novices’ Chase – Tidal Bay
2008: Maghull Novices’ Chase – Tidal Bay
2008: Colin Parker Memorial Intermediate Chase – Tidal Bay
2008: Colin Parker Memorial Intermediate Chase – Tidal Bay
2008: Becher Chase – Black Apalachi
2008: Becher Chase – Black Apalachi
2012: Pertemps Final Handicap Hurdle – Cape Tribulation
2012: Pertemps Final Handicap Hurdle – Cape Tribulation
2012: Silver Cross Handicap Hurdle (Aintree) – Cape Tribulation
2012: Silver Cross Handicap Hurdle (Aintree) – Cape Tribulation
2012: Fighting Fifth Hurdle – Countryside Flame
2012: Fighting Fifth Hurdle – Countryside Flame
2013: Cotswold Chase – Cape Tribulation
2013: Cotswold Chase – Cape Tribulation
2013: Finale Juvenile Hurdle – Ruacana
2013: Finale Juvenile Hurdle – Ruacana
2014: Paddy Power Chase– Living Next Door
2014: Paddy Power Chase– Living Next Door
2015: Galway Hurdle – Quick Jack
2015: Galway Hurdle – Quick Jack
2015: Lartige Handicap Hurdle – Golden Spear
2015: Lartige Handicap Hurdle – Golden Spear
2017: Close Brothers Novices’ Handicap Chase – Tully East
2017: Close Brothers Novices’ Handicap Chase – Tully East
2021: Drinmore Novice Chase – Beacon Edge
2021: Drinmore Novice Chase – Beacon Edge
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