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

National Hunt National Hunt Racing, also known as Jump Racing, is a form of horse racing particular to many European countries, including, but not limited to: France, Great Britain and Ireland. Jump Racing requires horses to jump over fences and ditches. In ...

racehorse Horse racing is an equestrian performance activity, 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 bas ...

trainer and former

jockey A jockey is someone who rides horses in horse racing or steeplechase (horse racing), 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 ...

Life and career

He was born in Castletownroche,

County Cork County Cork () is the largest and the southernmost Counties of Ireland, county of Republic of Ireland, Ireland, named after the city of Cork (city), Cork, the state's second-largest city. It is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Munster ...

Ireland Ireland (, ; ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe. Geopolitically, the island is divided between the Republic of Ireland (officially Names of the Irish state, named Irelan ...

. 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 The Cheltenham Gold Cup is a Grade 1 National Hunt horse race run on the New Course at Cheltenham Racecourse in England, over a distance of about 3 miles 2½ furlon ...

on the mare, Dawn Run who became the only horse to complete the double of winning the

Champion Hurdle The Champion 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 ...

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. On 10 April 2010, Jonjo O'Neill trained

Don't Push It Don't Push It (foaled 6 June 2000) is a retired British thoroughbred racehorse who won the Grand National in 2010. He was trained by Jonjo O'Neill at Jackdaws Castle yard near Cheltenham and ran in the green and yellow silks of owner J. P. Mc ...

to win the

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

. 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 Great Britain is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean off the north-west coast of continental Europe, consisting of the countries England, Scotland, and Wales. With an area of , it is the largest of the British Isles, the List of European ...

Cheltenham Gold Cup The Cheltenham Gold Cup is a Grade 1 National Hunt horse race run on the New Course at Cheltenham Racecourse in England, over a distance of about 3 miles 2½ furlon ...

– (2) Alverton (1979), Dawn Run (1986) *

Champion Hurdle The Champion 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 ...

– (2) – Sea Pigeon (1980), Dawn Run (1984) * Christmas Hurdle – (2) Ekbalco (1982), Dawn Run (1983) * Fighting Fifth Hurdle – (1) Out of the Gloom (1985) * Finale Juvenile Hurdle – (1) Out of The Gloom (1984) * Scilly Isles Novices' Chase – (1) Karenomore (1985) * Anniversary 4-Y-O Novices' Hurdle – (1) Starfen (1980) * Top Novices' Hurdle – (2) Prousto (1978), Rimondo (1979) * Mersey Novices' Hurdle – (1) Out of the Gloom (1985) * Maghull Novices' Chase – (1) Night Nurse (1979) *

Liverpool Hurdle The Liverpool 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 or older. It is run a ...

– (1) Prominent King (1979) ---- Ireland * Irish Champion Hurdle – (2) Royal Vulcan (1983), Dawn Run (1984)

Major wins as trainer

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

– (1) Don't Push It (2010) * Christmas Hurdle – (2) Intersky Falcon (2002,2003) * Finale Juvenile Hurdle – (1) Hunt Hill (1998) * Challow Novices' Hurdle – (3) Coolnagorna (2003), Wichita Lineman (2007), Taquin du Seuil (2013) * Tolworth Novices' Hurdle – (2) Miros (2002), Lingo (2004) * Anniversary 4-Y-O Novices' Hurdle – (1) Quazar (2002) * Betway Bowl – (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 – (1) Holywell (2014) *

Cheltenham Gold Cup The Cheltenham Gold Cup is a Grade 1 National Hunt horse race run on the New Course at Cheltenham Racecourse in England, over a distance of about 3 miles 2½ furlon ...

– (1) Synchronised (2012) ---- Ireland * Punchestown Champion Hurdle (1) Quazar (2003) * Champion Stayers Hurdle – (2) Rhinestone Cowboy (2004), Refinement (2007) * Champion INH Flat Race – (1) Refinement (2005) * Savills Chase – (2) Exotic Dancer (2008), Synchronised (2011) * Champion Four Year Old Hurdle – (2) Quazar (2002), Cherub (2004) * Irish Grand National – (2) Butlers Cabin (2007), Shutthefrontdoor (2014)

Cheltenham Festival winners (26)

Cheltenham Gold Cup The Cheltenham Gold Cup is a Grade 1 National Hunt horse race run on the New Course at Cheltenham Racecourse in England, over a distance of about 3 miles 2½ furlon ...

– (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 m ...

– (2) Iris's Gift (2004), More Of That (2014) * Ryanair Chase – (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 The Golden Miller Novices' Limited Handicap Chase, currently known for sponsorship purposes as the Jack Richards Novices' Limited Handicap Chase, is a Grade Two National Hunt limited handicap chase in Great Britain which is ...

– (1) Taquin du Seuil (2014) * National Hunt Chase Challenge Cup – (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 dist ...

– (1) Master Tern (2000) *

Pertemps Final The Pertemps Network Final 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 dis ...

– (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 Premier Handicap National Hunt steeplechase in Great Britain which is open to horses aged five years or older. It is run on the Old Course at Chelte ...

– (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 People from Castletownroche Equestrians from County Cork