Denis O'Regan announces retirement at Navan on Saturday

By Sporting Life

Horse Racing

Sat November 18, 2023 · 1y ago

Denis O’Regan announced his retirement after partnering Solly Attwell in the opener at Navan on Saturday.

The rider completed his quest to ride a winner at all UK and Irish National Hunt racecourses earlier this month when successfully steering Fiveonefive to victory at Hereford.

The Irishman has tasted plenty of success on some of the sport’s biggest days – including Cheltenham Festival victories aboard the likes of Inglis Drever and Tidal Bay during a successful association with owner Graham Wylie and trainer Howard Johnson.

He won a Becher Chase at Aintree on the Dessie Hughes-trained Black Apalachi, who went on to be second to Don’t Push It in the 2010 Grand National won by Tony McCoy.

Cape Tribulation won at both the Cheltenham and Aintree Festivals in 2012 for O’Regan and Malcolm Jefferson, and a year later the same horse won the Cotswold Chase at Cheltenham.

O’Regan also won a Fighting Fifth on Countrywide Flame, a Finale Hurdle on Ruacana and a Galway Hurdle on Quick Jack.

Having learned the ropes at Noel Meade’s yard as understudy to Paul Carberry, it is no surprise O’Regan was renowned for his quiet style in the saddle and in recent years had been used by Gordon Elliott.

His recent victory at Hereford, the only course to have previously eluded him, came for trainer Cian Collins on Fiveonefive, so it was fitting he brought the curtain down on his career on Collins’ Solly Attwell, who finished unplaced.

O’Regan said: “I’m delighted with the decision. It was a huge effort to get back for Hereford after such a long stint off and I’m 41 and have had a fair few falls. It was not simple now to come to the decision but I went to Gowran last Saturday and I knew then after that. I knew going home that was it and I had to stop now.

“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.”

Safer gambling

We are committed in our support of safer gambling. Recommended bets are advised to over-18s and we strongly encourage readers to wager only what they can afford to lose.

If you are concerned about your gambling, please call the National Gambling Helpline / GamCare on 0808 8020 133.

Further support and information can be found at begambleaware.org and gamblingtherapy.org

Like what you've read?