| Thursday, 12 November, 2020: We added Barry Geraghty to the Fat Jockey Cheltenham Festival Hall of Fame some time ago and it is good today to note that the two-time Cheltenham Gold Cup-winning jockey has been inducted into the real one. Barry has been named as The Festival ambassador for 2021 and is the latest star to be welcomed into Cheltenham Racecourse’s Hall of Fame. Barry rode 1,920 winners during his career, 43 of them at The Festival™. He announced his retirement earlier this year after completing his most successful Cheltenham Festival with five winners. Following his retirement, The Jockey Club has named Geraghty as their Ambassador for the Cheltenham Festival 2021 as well as inducting him in the legendary Hall of Fame, alongside the likes of Willie Mullins, Best Mate and the late ‘Voice of Racing’, Sir Peter O’Sullevan. A delighted Barry Geraghty said: “It is an honour to be welcomed into Cheltenham’s Hall of Fame and to be amongst legends of our sport. “The place is very special to me, and I have had some of the best moments of my career there. It was the fairy tale ending in 2020 to have my final Festival with five winners. “I am delighted to be able to continue to be associated with the event as the ambassador for 2021. Those four days are the most important in the Jump racing calendar and although ‘Cheltenham eve’ will feel a little different this year, you won’t be able to keep me away.” Regional Director of The Jockey Club, Ian Renton said: “Barry has been a favourite for racing fans since he won at The Festival in 2002 on Moscow Flyer. We’re delighted to have him back for 2021 as our ambassador – I couldn’t think of anybody better for the role. “Barry’s place in the Hall of Fame felt like an obvious choice after his glittering career. With two Cheltenham Gold Cups, and multiple Champion Chase and Champion Hurdle victories to his name, he has and continues to be a fantastic ambassador for our sport.” From Drumee in County Meath, Barry is considered one of the greatest jockeys of his generation, and finished his career while in one of the most coveted jobs in racing as retained jockey to JP McManus, a role he inherited from Sir AP McCoy in 2015. The Hall of Fame museum at the racecourse displays over 60 years of history that hangs from the ceiling in iconic Cheltenham fashion, telling the story of the Home of Jump Racing. It is an appropriate recognition for the man described by Greg Wood as “The Smiling Champion of Cheltenham…. The Cheltenham Festival will miss him. Few, if any, riders did more to make it what it is today”. Robin Oaksey struck a similar cord in the Spectator under the heading “Why racing will miss Barry Geraghty. Despite his phenomenal record, he never seemed to take himself too seriously“. Barry has been doing the rounds of late promoting his honest and beautifully flowing autobiography “True Colours”. It is an Irish book of the year nominee and has been praised by leading sports journalists including Donald McRae and Keith Duggan. Barry has been looking for votes : |
While Barry might have expected to be at the Cheltenham November meeting for his induction and a True Colours book signing he has let it be known that signed and dedicated copies can be obtained from his local bookshop.
If you are not a reader many of the issues dealt with in the book are covered in this podcast
| Barry Geraghty Barry Geraghty – The Festival™ winners 2002 Moscow Flyer Racing Post Arkle 2003 Youlneverwalkalone Ultima Handicap Chase 2003 Moscow Flyer Betway Queen Mother Champion Chase 2003 Inching Closer Pertemps Network Final 2003 Spectroscope JCB Triumph Hurdle 2003 Spirit Leader Randox Health County Handicap Hurdle 2004 Iris’s Gift Paddy Power Stayers’ Hurdle 2005 Moscow Flyer Betway Queen Mother Champion Chase 2005 Kicking King Magners Cheltenham Gold Cup 2006 Star De Mohaison RSA Insurance Novices’ Chase 2006 Sky’s The Limit Coral Cup 2007 Cork All Star Weatherbys Champion Bumper 2008 Finger Onthe Pulse Ultima Handicap Chase 2009 Forpadydeplasterer Racing Post Arkle 2009 Punjabi Unibet Champion Hurdle 2009 Zaynar JCB Triumph Hurdle 2010 Big Zeb Betway Queen Mother Champion Chase 2010 Spirit River Coral Cup 2010 Soldatino JCB Triumph Hurdle 2011 Bobs Worth Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle 2012 Sprinter Sacre Racing Post Arkle 2012 Simonsig Ballymore Novices’ Hurdle 2012 Bobs Worth RSA Insurance Novices’ Chase 2012 Finian’s Rainbow Betway Queen Mother Champion Chase 2012 Riverside Theatre Ryanair Chase 2013 Simonsig Racing Post Arkle 2013 Sprinter Sacre Betway Queen Mother Champion Chase 2013 Bobs Worth Magners Cheltenham Gold Cup 2014 Jezki Unibet Champion Hurdle 2014 O’Faolains Boy RSA Insurance Novices’ Chase 2014 More Of That Paddy Power Stayers’ Hurdle 2015 The Druids Nephew Ultima Handicap Chase 2015 Peace And Co JCB Triumph Hurdle 2016 Ivanovich Gorbatov JCB Triumph Hurdle 2018 Buveur D’Air Unibet Champion Hurdle 2018 Le Prezien Johnny Henderson Grand Annual 2019 Defi du Seuil Marsh Novices’ Chase 2019 Sire du Berlais Pertemps Network Final 2020 Epatante Unibet Champion Hurdle 2020 Champ RSA Insurance Novices’ Chase 2020 Dame de Compagnie Coral Cup 2020 Sire du Berlais Pertemps Network Final 2020 Saint Roi Randox Health County Handicap Hurdle You will find video of many of these on our youtube playlist of Barry Geraghty’s Big Race Wins. |
