Sean Woods
Sean Woods was born on July 2, 1965 and rode as a conditional and professional jockey over jumps in the 1980s and early 1990s. Based in Newmarket, he rode for several local trainers including Frankie Durr, Tony Hide and Hugh Collingridge.
Sean Woods was born on July 2, 1965 and rode as a conditional and professional jockey over jumps in the 1980s and early 1990s. Based in Newmarket, he rode for several local trainers including Frankie Durr, Tony Hide and Hugh Collingridge.
He rode 10 winners during the 1987/88 campaign. His wins the following season included the Coral Bookmakers Handicap Hurdle on Mubaaris at Fakenham on Easter Monday. He scored eight victories in the 1989/90 season. Highlights of the 1990/91 campaign included three Southwell all-weather hurdle races on the Tony Hide-trained Cosmic Dancer, culminating in the £10,000 King George Fund & Army Benevolent Handicap Hurdle on May 6,1991. His final season in the saddle was 1991/92, when his wins included a Southwell all-weather hurdle double aboard Mubaaris and Briery Fille on January 13, 1992.
He rode 10 winners during the 1987/88 campaign. His wins the following season included the Coral Bookmakers Handicap Hurdle on Mubaaris at Fakenham on Easter Monday. He scored eight victories in the 1989/90 season. Highlights of the 1990/91 campaign included three Southwell all-weather hurdle races on the Tony Hide-trained Cosmic Dancer, culminating in the £10,000 King George Fund & Army Benevolent Handicap Hurdle on May 6,1991. His final season in the saddle was 1991/92, when his wins included a Southwell all-weather hurdle double aboard Mubaaris and Briery Fille on January 13, 1992.
Having realised that he was not going to become one of the top four or five jump jockeys, Sean decided that being in the second division was unacceptable and changed careers, taking out a trainer’s licence in June 1992, based at La Grange Stables, Snailwell Road, Newmarket, with a string of 17 horses. They included Cosmic Dancer, which he saddled to win three Southwell all-weather hurdles in a row in February/March 1993, ridden each time by Tony Carroll.
Having realised that he was not going to become one of the top four or five jump jockeys, Sean decided that being in the second division was unacceptable and changed careers, taking out a trainer’s licence in June 1992, based at La Grange Stables, Snailwell Road, Newmarket, with a string of 17 horses. They included Cosmic Dancer, which he saddled to win three Southwell all-weather hurdles in a row in February/March 1993, ridden each time by Tony Carroll.
He sent out a total of 263 winners‚ including Group race successes in the mid-1990s with Mistle Cat in the Group 1 Premio Vittorio Di Capri at San Siro in Milan, and the Group 3 Prix Du Palais Royal at Deauville. He also won Ascot’s Royal Lodge with the Frankie Dettori-ridden Atlantis Prince in 2000, plus a handful of other Pattern winners. His best year was 43 winners in 2001.
He sent out a total of 263 winners‚ including Group race successes in the mid-1990s with Mistle Cat in the Group 1 Premio Vittorio Di Capri at San Siro in Milan, and the Group 3 Prix Du Palais Royal at Deauville. He also won Ascot’s Royal Lodge with the Frankie Dettori-ridden Atlantis Prince in 2000, plus a handful of other Pattern winners. His best year was 43 winners in 2001.
After training successful in Newmarket for ten years, he decamped to Hong Kong in 2002 and enjoyed consistent success there, sending out a total of 279 winners, worth nearly HK$239 million (£23.7m/€27.9m) in prize-money, many of them partnered by his elder brother, Wendyll Woods, who rode successfully in Hong Kong for 14 seasons.
After training successful in Newmarket for ten years, he decamped to Hong Kong in 2002 and enjoyed consistent success there, sending out a total of 279 winners, worth nearly HK$239 million (£23.7m/€27.9m) in prize-money, many of them partnered by his elder brother, Wendyll Woods, who rode successfully in Hong Kong for 14 seasons.
In April 2017 Sean sued the Hong Kong Jockey Club for denying him the renewal of a trainer’s license claiming it misled him into moving to the under-maintained Olympic stables. He claimed they were not on a “level playing field,” saying the arena at the stables was “too soft, under- maintained and not fit for exercising horses.” He also claims he did not receive a fair hearing and procedure was not followed when he lost his licence, and during the appeal.
In April 2017 Sean sued the Hong Kong Jockey Club for denying him the renewal of a trainer’s license claiming it misled him into moving to the under-maintained Olympic stables. He claimed they were not on a “level playing field,” saying the arena at the stables was “too soft, under- maintained and not fit for exercising horses.” He also claims he did not receive a fair hearing and procedure was not followed when he lost his licence, and during the appeal.