Leading Irish flat race jockey Johnny Murtagh has announced he is to retire from riding in order to concentrate on his career as a trainer.
The 43-year-old enjoyed several Classic successes, winning three English Derbys, four Irish Derbys ans five Ascot Gold Cups since recording his first victory in the saddle aboard Chicago Style at the Irish course of Limerick in 1987.
“The training side of things is getting bigger all the time and I wasn’t happy giving the riding 50 percent and the training 50 percent,” the 43-year-old Murtagh told the BBC on Tuesday.
“It’s the right time to call it a day and put everything into the training.
Murtagh enjoyed a purple patch of success in the Derby, English flat racing’s blue riband event, triumphing three times in six years aboard Sinndar (2000), High Chaparral (2002) and Motivator (2005) on the difficult, undulating course at Epsom Downs, south of London, where the race is staged annually.
“I’ve done extremely well and when you look at the list of horses I’ve ridden, there have been some brilliant horses,” said Murtagh, who also rode Sinndar to victory in Europe’s most prestigious race the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe in 2000.
“It would be unfair to pick out one, but there were a number of special days.
“My first Derby win aboard Sinndar was obviously a huge thing and then Yeats (he won two Ascot Gold Cups on him) was an incredible horse to be associated with.
“Riding and training Royal Diamond to win on Champions Day last year at Ascot (in the Long Distance Cup). That was something very special as well.”
He added: “I didn’t ride a horse until I was 15 and it’s been fantastic, but it’s now time to move on to the next chapter in my life.”
Murtagh, who battled alcohol problems earlier in his career, took out his training licence in May last year and succeeded former Irish champion jump jockey Tommy Carmody as the trainer in charge at Fox Covert Stables in County Kildare.
“We have 45 horses in training at the moment, including 20 two-year-olds and we have a few new owners,” said Murtagh,who also rode Sinndar to .
“I have the same expectations as when I was riding – the standards are still the same.
“If we get a bit of luck and a good horse comes along, we’ll get there.”