John Joseph "Jonjo" O'Neill (born 13 April 1952) is an Irish National Hunt

racehorse Horse racing is an equestrian performance sport, typically involving two or more horses ridden by jockeys (or sometimes driven without riders) over a set distance for competition. It is one of the most ancient of all sports, as its basic pr ...

trainer and former

jockey A jockey is someone who rides horses in horse racing or steeplechase racing, primarily as a profession. The word also applies to camel riders in camel racing. The word "jockey" originated from England and was used to describe the individual ...

. He is a native of Castletownroche, County Cork in Ireland. Based at the Jackdaws Castle training establishment in England. O'Neill twice won the British Champion Jockey title (1977-78 & 1979-80) and won the Cheltenham Gold Cup on the mare,

Dawn Run Dawn Run (1978–1986) was an Irish Thoroughbred racehorse (Deep Run - Twilight Slave) who was the most successful racemare in the history of National Hunt racing. She won the Champion Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival in 1984 and the Chelten ...

who became the only horse to complete the double of winning the

Champion Hurdle The Champion 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 on the Old Course at Cheltenham over a ...

and the Gold Cup at the Cheltenham Festival. He won 900 races as a jockey. At the 2009 Cheltenham Festival, Wichita Lineman, an O'Neill trained horse, won the

William Hill Trophy The Festival Trophy is a Grade 3 National Hunt steeplechase in Great Britain which is open to horses aged five years or older. It is run on the Old Course at Cheltenham over a distance of about 3 mi ...

."Cheltenham Festival: Punjabi So Brave For Henderson"
dailyrecord.co.uk, 11 March 2009, accessed 11 March 2009. On 10 April 2010, Jonjo O'Neill trained

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 at ...

to win the Grand National. In seven attempts as a jockey he had never completed the course but Don't Push It, ridden by the champion jockey Tony McCoy (whose best finishes in fourteen previous attempts had been third places) overtook Black Apalachi at the last fence and pulled clear on the run-in to win by five lengths. In March 2012 he trained Synchronised to win the Cheltenham Gold Cup. His son, also named Jonjo, is a National Hunt jockey.

Major wins as jockey

Great Britain * Cheltenham Gold Cup - (2) Alverton (1979),

(1986) *

Champion Hurdle The Champion 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 on the Old Course at Cheltenham over a ...

- (2) - Sea Pigeon (1980),

(1984) *

Christmas Hurdle The Christmas 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 Kempton Park over a distance of about 2 miles (3,219 metres ...

- (2) Ekbalco (1982),

(1983) * Fighting Fifth Hurdle - (1) Out of the Gloom (1985) *

Finale Juvenile Hurdle The Finale Juvenile Hurdle is a Grade 2 National Hunt hurdle race in Great Britain which is open to horses aged three years. It is run at Chepstow over a distance of about 2 miles (2 miles and 11 yards, ...

- (1) Out of The Gloom (1984) *

Scilly Isles Novices' Chase The Scilly Isles Novices' Chase is a Grade 1 National Hunt steeplechase in Great Britain, which is open to horses aged five years or older. It is run at Sandown Park over a distance of around two miles ...

- (1) Karenomore (1985) *

Anniversary 4-Y-O Novices' Hurdle The Anniversary 4-Y-O Novices' Hurdle is a Grade 1 National Hunt racing, National Hunt Hurdling (horse race), hurdle race in Great Britain which is open to Horse racing, horses aged four years. It is ...

- (1) Starfen (1980) *

Top Novices' Hurdle The Top Novices' Hurdle is a Grade One National Hunt hurdle race in Great Britain which is open to horses aged four years or older. It is run at Aintree over a distance of about 2 miles and half a ...

-(2) Prousto (1978), Rimondo (1979) *

Mersey Novices' Hurdle The Mersey Novices' Hurdle is a Grade One National Hunt hurdle race in Great Britain which is open to horses aged four years or older. It is run at Aintree, Merseyside, over a distance of about 2 mil ...

- (1) Out of the Gloom (1985) *

Maghull Novices' Chase The Maghull Novices' Chase is a Grade 1 National Hunt steeplechase in Great Britain which is open to horses aged five years or older. It is run at Aintree over a distance of about 2 miles (1 mile 7 ...

- (1) Night Nurse (1979) *

Liverpool Hurdle The Liverpool 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 Aintree over a distance of about 3 miles and ½ furlong (3 ...

- (1) Prominent King (1979) ---- Ireland *

Irish Champion Hurdle The Irish Champion Hurdle is a Grade 1 National Hunt hurdle race in Ireland which is open to horses aged four years or older. It is run at Leopardstown over a distance of about 2 miles (3,219 metres), and du ...

- (2) Royal Vulcan (1983),

(1984)

Major wins as trainer

Great Britain * Grand National - (1) Don't Push It (2010) *

- (2) Intersky Falcon (2002,2003) *

- (1) Hunt Hill (1998) *

Challow Novices' Hurdle The Challow Novices' 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 Newbury over a distance of about 2 miles and 4½ furlongs (2 m ...

- (3) Coolnagorna (2003), Wichita Lineman (2007), Taquin du Seuil (2013) * Tolworth Novices' Hurdle - (2) Miros (2002), Lingo (2004) *

- (1) Quazar (2002) *

Betway Bowl The Betway Bowl is a Grade 1 National Hunt steeplechase in Great Britain which is open to horses aged five years or older. It is run at Aintree over a distance of about 3 miles and 1 furlong (3 mile ...

- (1) Exotic Dancer (2007) * Aintree Hurdle - (1) Rhinestone Cowboy (2004) * Melling Chase -(1) Albertas Run (2010) * Sefton Novices' Hurdle - (1) Black Jack Ketchum (2006) *

Mildmay Novices' Chase The Mildmay Novices' Chase is a Grade One National Hunt chase in Great Britain which is open to horses aged five years or older. It is run on the Mildmay course at Aintree over a distance of about 3 m ...

- (1) Holywell (2014) * Cheltenham Gold Cup - (1) Synchronised (2012) ---- Ireland * Punchestown Champion Hurdle (1) Quazar (2003) *

Champion Stayers Hurdle The Champion Stayers Hurdle is a Grade 1 National Hunt racing, National Hunt Hurdling (horse race), hurdle race in Ireland which is open to Horse racing, horses aged four years or older. It is run at Punchestown Raceco ...

- (2) Rhinestone Cowboy (2004), Refinement (2007) *

Champion INH Flat Race The Champion INH Flat Race is a Grade 1 National Hunt flat race in Ireland for amateur riders which is open to horses aged four to seven years. It is run at Punchestown over a distance of about 2 miles and ½ furlong ( ...

- (1) Refinement (2005) *

Savills Chase The Savills Chase is a Grade 1 National Hunt steeplechase in Ireland which is open to horses aged five years or older. It is run at Leopardstown over a distance of about 3 miles (4,828 metres), and ...

- (2) Exotic Dancer (2008), Synchronised (2011) *

Champion Four Year Old Hurdle The Champion Four Year Old Hurdle is a Grade 1 National Hunt hurdle race in Ireland which is open to horses aged four years. It is run at Punchestown over a distance of about 2 miles (3,219 metres), and during its run ...

- (2) Quazar (2002), Cherub (2004) * Irish Grand National -(2) Butlers Cabin (2007), Shutthefrontdoor (2014)

Cheltenham Festival winners (26)

* Cheltenham Gold Cup - (1) Synchronised (2012) *

Stayers' Hurdle The Stayers' Hurdle is a Grade 1 National Hunt hurdle race in Great Britain. It is open to horses aged four years or older. It is run on the New Course at Cheltenham over a distance of about 3 miles ...

-(2) Iris's Gift (2004), More Of That (2014) *

Ryanair Chase The Ryanair Chase is a Grade 1 National Hunt steeplechase 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 2 miles and 4½ furlongs (2 ...

- (2) Albertas Run (2010,2011) * Triumph Hurdle - (1) Spectroscope (2003) * Albert Bartlett Novices' Hurdle - (2) Black Jack Ketchum (2006), Wichita Lineman (2007) * Golden Miller Novices' Chase - (1) Taquin du Seuil (2014) *

National Hunt Chase Challenge Cup The National Hunt Challenge Cup is a Grade 2 National Hunt steeplechase in Great Britain for amateur riders which is open to horses aged five years or older. It is run on the Old Course at Cheltenh ...

- (6) Front Line (1995), Rith Dubh (2002), Sudden Shock (2003), Native Emperor (2004), Butler's Cabin (2007), Minella Rocco (2016) * Festival Trophy Handicap Chase - (3) Wichita Lineman (2009), Alfie Sherrin (2012), Holywell (2014) *

County Handicap Hurdle The County Handicap Hurdle is a Premier Handicap 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 distan ...

- (1) Master Tern (2000) *

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 ...

- (4) Danny Connors (1991), Inching Closer (2003), Creon (2004), Holywell (2013) * Fulke Walwyn Kim Muir Challenge Cup - (1) Sunnyhillboy (2012) * St James's Place Foxhunter Chase - (1) Drombeag (2007) *

Johnny Henderson Grand Annual Chase The Johnny Henderson Grand Annual Chase is a Grade 3 National Hunt racing, National Hunt steeplechase (horse racing), steeplechase in Great Britain which is open to horses aged five years or older. ...

- (1) Sky Pirate (2021)

References

External links

Jonjo O'Neill Racing

BBC biography
{{DEFAULTSORT:Oneill, Jonjo 1952 births Living people Irish jockeys Irish racehorse trainers British Champion jumps jockeys