Denis O'Regan is a retired Irish jockey who competed in

National Hunt racing In horse racing in the United Kingdom, France and Republic of Ireland, National Hunt racing requires horses to jump fences and ditches. National Hunt racing in the UK is informally known as "jumps" and is divided into two major distinct branches: ...

and won seven Grade 1 races. In November 2023 he became the first jockey to ride a winner at every active National Hunt

racecourse A race track (racetrack, racing track or racing circuit) is a facility built for racing of vehicles, athletes, or animals (e.g. horse racing or greyhound racing). A race track also may feature grandstands or concourses. Race tracks are also use ...

in Britain and Ireland. He retired after riding at

Navan Navan ( ; , meaning "the Cave") is the county town of County Meath, Ireland. In 2016, it had a population of 30,173, making it the tenth largest settlement in Ireland. It is at the confluence of the River Boyne and Blackwater, around 50&nb ...

on 18 November 2023.

Background

The son of a cattle farmer and a publican, O'Regan was born in March 1982 in Youghal, County Cork, and gained experience in pony racing and drag hunting before becoming a jockey.

Career as a jockey

O'Regan gained his first winner on All Honey for trainer Francis Flood in a bumper at

Listowel Listowel ( ; , IPA: �lʲɪsˠˈt̪ˠuəhəlʲ is a heritage market town in County Kerry, Ireland. It is on the River Feale, from the county town, Tralee. The town of Listowel had a population of 4,820 according to the CSO Census 2016. Desc ...

when he was riding as an amateur jockey in April 2001. His rode his first winner as a professional on Rupununi for Frank Ennis in a maiden hurdle at Listowel in September 2003, soon after he had taken out a licence. His first major win was on Ansar, trained by

Dermot Weld Dermot K. Weld (born 29 July 1948), a former jockey is one of Ireland's most successful racehorse trainers. He holds the record for the most winners trained in Ireland (2,578 set in August 2000). Weld maintains his stable, Rosewell House, in ...

, in the Galway Plate in 2005. O'Regan gained his first Grade 1 win on Offshore Account, trained by Charlie Swan, in the 2007 Hanover Quay Champion Novice Chase at

Punchestown Punchestown Racecourse is located in the parish of Eadestown, between the R410 and R411 regional roads near Naas, County Kildare, in Ireland. It is known as the home of Irish Jumps Racing and plays host to the annual Punchestown Irish Nationa ...

. At the start of the 2007/08 season he moved to England to take up a position as stable jockey to County Durham trainer Howard Johnson. At the 2008

Cheltenham Festival The Cheltenham Festival is a horse racing-based meeting in the National Hunt racing calendar in the United Kingdom, with race prize money second only to the Grand National. The four-day festival takes place annually in March at Cheltenham Ra ...

he rode two Grade 1 winners for Johnson,

Tidal Bay Tidal Bay is an Irish bred Bay gelding Thoroughbred race horse foaled on 12 May 2001. He was the winner of three Grade 1 jumps races, the Arkle Challenge Trophy and the Maghull Novices' Chase in 2008 as well as the Lexus Chase in 2012. Traine ...

in the Arkle Challenge Trophy and Inglis Drever in the Stayers' Hurdle. In April 2008 he had his second ride in the

Grand National The Grand National is a National Hunt horse race held annually at Aintree Racecourse in Liverpool, England. First run in 1839, it is a handicap st ...

, finishing fifth on Bewley's Berry, trained by Johnson. In November 2008 O'Regan rode Black Appalachi to victory over Grand National fences in the

Becher Chase The Becher Chase is a Premier Handicap National Hunt steeplechase in Great Britain which is open to horses aged six years or older. It is run at Aintree over a distance of about 3 miles and 2 furlongs (3 ...

Aintree Aintree is a village and civil parish in the Metropolitan Borough of Sefton, Merseyside, England. Historically in Lancashire, it lies between Walton and Maghull on the A59 road, north-east of Liverpool city centre, in North West England. I ...

for Dessie Hughes. The partnership came second in the

2010 Grand National The 2010 Grand National (officially known as the John Smith's Grand National for sponsorship reasons) was the 163rd renewal of the Grand National horse race that took place at Aintree near Liverpool, England, on 10 April 2010. The main race wa ...

, beaten five lengths by

Tony McCoy Sir Anthony Peter McCoy (born 4 May 1974), commonly known as AP McCoy or Tony McCoy, is a Northern Irish former National Hunt horse racing jockey. Based in Ireland and the UK, McCoy rode a record 4,358 winners, and was Champion Jockey a reco ...

Don't Push It Don't Push It is a Grand National-winning thoroughbred racehorse in England. Debut Don't Push It began his career on 5 December 2004 at Warwick in a National Hunt flat race, finishing third. 2005–06 season His first full season began a ...

. After the race O'Regan said: "He was a bit keen early on but once he settled into a lovely rhythm he was fantastic. It's a pleasure to ride a horse like him round here." At the same meeting he rode Tidal Bay to victory in the Grade 1 Maghull Novices' Chase. O'Regan's contract with Johnson was not renewed at the end of the 2009/10 season, after he had missed rides through injury, weight problems and whip bans. After splitting from Johnson, O'Regan rode as a freelance until 2016. At the 2012 Cheltenham Festival he rode Cape Tribulation, trained by Malcolm Jefferson, to victory in the

Pertemps Final The Pertemps Final is a Grade Three National Hunt hurdle race in Great Britain which is open to horses aged five years or older. It is run on the New Course at Cheltenham over a distance of about 3 ...

Handicap Hurdle. A month later the pair won the Grade 3 Silver Cross Handicap Hurdle at the Aintree meeting and then went on to another win at the 2013 Cheltenham Festival, when they took the Grade 2 Cotswold Chase. O'Regan achieved two Grade 1 successes in the 2012/13 season on Countrywide Flame in the

Fighting Fifth Hurdle The Fighting Fifth Hurdle is a Grade 1 National Hunt hurdle race in Great Britain which is open to horses aged four years or older. It is run at Newcastle over a distance of about 2 miles and half a ...

Newcastle Newcastle usually refers to: *Newcastle upon Tyne, a city and metropolitan borough in Tyne and Wear, England *Newcastle-under-Lyme, a town in Staffordshire, England *Newcastle, New South Wales, a metropolitan area in Australia, named after Newcastle ...

for John Quinn and Ruacana in the Finale Juvenile Hurdle at

Chepstow Chepstow ( cy, Cas-gwent) is a town and community in Monmouthshire, Wales, adjoining the border with Gloucestershire, England. It is located on the tidal River Wye, about above its confluence with the River Severn, and adjoining the wester ...

for John Ferguson. In 2016 he returned to Ireland to ride for owner Barry Connell. The pair achieved success with Tully East, trained by Alan Fleming, in the Close Brothers Novice Handicap Chase at the 2017 Cheltenham Festival. The association with Connell came to an end in 2018 and O'Regan returned to freelance riding. His final Grade 1 win came on Beacon Edge, trained by

Noel Meade Noel Meade is a horse trainer from Castletown, County Meath, Ireland. He established Tu Va Stables in Meath as a place to train his horses. Early career: flat racing Meade began his career as a horse trainer in 1971,

, in the 2021 Drinmore Novice Chase at

Fairyhouse Fairyhouse Racecourse is a horse racing venue in the Republic of Ireland. It is situated in the parish of Ratoath in County Meath, on the R155 regional road, off the N3. It hosted its first race in 1848 and since 1870 has been the home of ...

. With a win at Hereford on 6 November 2023, O'Regan became the first jockey to ride a winner at every active National Hunt

in Britain and Ireland. He retired after riding at

on 18 November 2023.

Personal life

O'Regan lives in Ireland with his wife Louise and two sons.

Major wins

Ireland * Hanover Quay Champion Novice Chase - (1) - Offshore Account (2007) * Drinmore Novice Chase - (1) - Beacon Edge (2021)

Great Britain Great Britain is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean off the northwest coast of continental Europe. With an area of , it is the largest of the British Isles, the largest European island and the ninth-largest island in the world. It i ...

* Arkle Challenge Trophy - (1) -

(2008) * Stayers' Hurdle - (1) - Inglis Drever (2008) * Maghull Novices' Chase - (1) -

(2008) *

- (1) - Countrywide Flame (2012) * Finale Juvenile Hurdle - (1) - Ruacana (2012)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:ORegan, Denis Living people Irish jockeys 1982 births