Multiple Group 1-winning jockey Donnacha O'Brien has announced his retirement from the saddle via Twitter and will embark on a training career. The 21-year-old was crowned champion jockey in Ireland this year, defending the title he first secured 12 months ago, and he bows out with 10 top-level wins to his name. O'Brien's final Group 1 success came aboard Magical (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) in the G1 Champion S. at Ascot in October.
In a statement on Twitter, he said, “After thinking about things for a while, I have decided to concentrate on training next year. Riding has been very good to me and I owe everything to the people around me. I want to give special thanks to the Magnier, Smith and Tabor families, along with my own family, for all their support. I look forward to training a small group of horses next year and will hopefully build from there.”
O'Brien rode his first Group 1 winner aboard Intricately (Ire) (Fastnet Rock {Aus}), trained by his brother Joseph, in the 2016 G1 Moyglare Stud S. and he secured three Classic wins last year. He partnered Saxon Warrior (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) to win the G1 2000 Guineas for his father Aidan, before the pair again struck gold with Forever Together (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) in the G1 Investec Oaks at Epsom in June. The rider then steered Latrobe (Ire) (Camelot {GB}) to win the G1 Irish Derby for his brother later that month, while Magna Grecia (Ire) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}) gave O'Brien what was to be his final Classic success in this year's G1 2000 Guineas back in May. His final winner as a jockey was aboard Nobel Prize (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), a full-brother to champion and globetrotter Highland Reel (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) et al., in a Naas maiden on Nov. 3 for his father.
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