Derby-winning jockey, who recently retired after nearly 40 years and 36 G1 winners, answers the questions
Over a career spanning nearly 40 years, hugely respected Kevin Manning became one of Ireland’s most successful jockeys, synonymous with many of the best horses trained by his father-in-law Jim Bolger.
By the time he announced his retirement in October at the age of 55, he had ridden the winners of many of sport’s most significant prizes, among them four British Classics and three Irish Classics. Top of the list was the 2008 Derby on New Approach, the 2013 Irish Derby on Trading Leather and five victories in the Dewhurst Stakes.
On the international stage Manning won the 2004 Hong Kong Cup on Alexander Goldrun. He rode over 1,700 winners worldwide, of which 36 were at G1 level. He lives on the Curragh in County Kildare with wife Una and children James and Clare.
Which racing figure, past or present, do you most admire?
Without a shadow of a doubt it has to be Lester Piggott who was an absolute genius. I was lucky enough to be in the weighing room on a few occasions when he was still riding and rode against him. To me he was just ahead of his time. I also met him in his latter years when he presented me with the trophy for winning the English Guineas. It was a privilege to bump into someone I admired so much.
Which is your favourite venue and race anywhere in the world?
I would probably pick Newmarket, which was a very lucky track for me over the years. It was a fantastic place to go. There was always a great atmosphere. I enjoyed riding there. We very rarely went to Newmarket and not have success.
If I was to pick a race it would have to be the Dewhurst. I won the race five times on Teofilo (2006), New Approach (2007), Intense Focus (2008), Parish Hall (2011) and Dawn Approach (2012) – and in 2008 I also won the Champion Stakes on New Approach on the same day. I would particularly look forward to the Dewhurst because it was always exciting to see what lay ahead for the following season, especially if you had a good two-year-old.
Who is your favourite racehorse and why?
I was very lucky to have been mixed up with so many good horses and I couldn’t put one in front of the other. But my favourite horse, and we’re going back a while now, would be a filly called Noora Abu. I rode my first Pattern win on her in the 1987 Ballycorus Stakes. I could have ridden eight or nine winners on her. She really got my career going. She was a very good filly who started at the bottom of the handicap and ended up winning the G1 Pretty Polly Stakes in 1989. She was special.
What is your fondest memory in racing?
It would have to be winning the Irish Derby on Trading Leather. The race went very straightforwardly, Godolphin had two runners and Pat Smullen was riding their pacemaker. He set up a good gallop and I sat in fourth. It unfolded very well. I had a horse to aim at all the way down the straight and when I picked him up at the two-furlong pole it was all over from that point. What made it especially memorable was that Trading Leather was trained and bred by Jim and owned by his wife Jacqui, and I had a lot of my family there to celebrate it with me.
If you could change one thing in racing, what would it be?
I would love to see the saunas back in weigh rooms in all the racecourses. They were taken out during the pandemic and haven’t come back. It would make life so much easier for jockeys.
It never impacted on me, only if I was travelling to France or England. I have a sauna at home so I did all my groundwork here. But I have seen so many of the guys riding with me struggle in that department, having to put on running gear and sweat suits and run round the track to shed weight. It’s not easy for them. You can arrive in England or France with a pound to lose. Before it was all very straightforward. Now you have to sort all that out before you travel. I would love to see it go back to what it was.
Kevin Manning was speaking to Jon Lees
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