Davy Russell

Davy Russell (born 27 June 1979) is an Irish retired National Hunt jockey.

He was Irish jump racing Champion Jockey three times, and won the Grand National (twice), the Cheltenham Gold Cup and the Grand Steeple-Chase de Paris.

Russell was born David Niall Russell, the second youngest of six children, and raised on the farm of his parents Jerry and Phyllis Russell in Youghal, County Cork, Ireland

. His father owned a few racehorses and the family walked puppies for the local hunt.

As a child Russell’s passions were riding his pony, hurling, and helping his father with his horses.

Russell rode for four years as an amateur in point-to-points in Ireland, winning his first race in February 1999.

During this period he also went hunting and worked in a fish factory.

In 2002 Russell moved to Yorkshire, England, to ride for the Irish trainer Ferdy Murphy at Middleham.

Russell's first win as a professional jockey was on Inn Antique in a novice hurdle at Sedgefield, 12 November 2002.

His first win as a professional in Ireland came on Colonel Monroe on 29 December 2002.

After 14 months with Murphy he returned to Ireland and spent a season with Edward O'Grady and then two years as a freelance jockey.

He gained many high-profile successes during his two seasons in England, winning the Peter Marsh Chase on Truckers Tavern in 2003 and also finishing second on the same horse in that year's Cheltenham Gold Cup.

Other valuable wins on Murphy’s horses came on Tribal Venture, Ballinclay King and Historg.

He had his first Cheltenham Festival win in March 2006 on the Philip Rothwell trained Native Jack in the Cross Country Chase.

In September 2007 he was invited to become Michael O'Leary's stable jockey at Gigginstown House Stud, a position he held until he was sacked after a win and over a cup of tea at Punchestown Racecourse on New Year’s Eve 2013.

He continued, however, to ride for Michael O'Leary on occasion.

Russell was champion Irish National Hunt jockey in 2011/12 and 2012/13, having been runner-up the five previous seasons.

It was Russell’s 14th ride in the Grand National.

In August 2017 he rode Balko Des Flos to win the Galway Plate for the first time to add to his two Galway Hurdle wins of previous years.

An incident at Tramore Racecourse in August 2017 led to controversy when Russell was caught on camera aiming a blow at the head of his mount, Kings Dolly, when she was playing up before the start of a race.

Initially Russell was given a caution; this was later changed to a four-day suspension.

At the hearing Russell argued that he had been trying to make the mare concentrate, and he criticised media coverage of the incident.

He was champion Irish National Hunt jockey for the third time in 2017/18.

In 2018 he won the leading jockey award at Cheltenham.

Injury kept him having any rides at the festival in 2021.

Russell won the 2018 Grand National at Aintree on 14 April on Michael O'Leary's Tiger Roll.

At 38, Russell was the oldest jockey in the race, and, at 15.2 hands, Tiger Roll was the smallest horse.

Except for 2019, he then had at least one winner at the festival every year up to 2020, with his victories including the Gold Cup in 2014 on Lord Windermere, and a record three wins in the Coral Cup.

In 2019 Russell and Tiger Roll again won the Grand National, with Russell becoming the first jockey since Brian Fletcher on Red Rum in 1974 to win back-to-back Grand Nationals on the same horse.

In May 2019 Russell had his first ride in the Grand Steeple-Chase de Paris, sometimes known as the French Gold Cup, and won on Carriacou, trained by Isabelle Pacault.

A fall in the Munster National at Limerick on 11 October 2020 left Russell with a serious vertebrae injury.

He underwent surgery and needed to recuperate for months, announcing in February 2021 that he would not be fit to ride at the Cheltenham Festival in March.

Russell retired on 18 December 2022 after winning the Billy Harney Memorial Irish EBF Mares Novice Hurdle on Liberty Dance at Thurles Racecourse.

On 11 January 2023 Russell announced he would come out of retirement to help Elliott and his owners after Jack Kennedy broke his leg.

Four days later he rode his first winner since his return when Sa Fureur won a maiden hurdle at Punchestown.

After a disappointing Cheltenham Festival, a back injury sidelined Russell until the Grand National meeting at Aintree, where he rode two Grade 1 winners before being unseated at the first fence on Galvin in the Grand National.

In his final race he came fifth on Pour Les Filles in the Champion Standard Open NH Flat Race on the same day.

Following his retirement from race riding, Russell continued to breed and trade young horses as he had done for some years.

In an interview with Racing Post he spoke of the need for jockeys to gain qualifications to use after retirement, and his own regret at not having gained an HGV licence.

Russell is married to Edelle O’Meara, a science and maths teacher and former Irish pole vault champion.