JOCKEY PROFILE

County of origin: Cork

First winner: All Honey (Francis Flood) Listowel, April 20th, 2001 

Assoc. Trainers: Tony Martin, Liam Cusack, Gavin Cromwell, Gordon Elliott

Significant Horses: Tidal Bay, Inglis Drever, Offshore Account, Ansar, Countrywide Flame, Ruacana, Quick Jack, Golden Spear, Living Next Door, Tully East

Did you know:

From Youghal, County Cork, Denis O'Regan began his career as an amateur rider and rode his first winner on All Honey, for the late Francis Flood in a bumper at Listowel in April, 2001. He turned professional in September 2003 and his first winner in the paid ranks came soon after at the same North Kerry venue when the Frank Ennis-trained Rupununi won a maiden hurdle at the September festival.  Denis quickly established himself as one of the top jump jockeys and a big early success came when he won the Galway Plate on the Dermot Weld-trained Ansar in the Galway Plate in 2005. He won his first Grade 1 event when the Charlie Swan-trained Offshore Account won the Champion Novice Chase at the Punchestown festival in 2007.

The following season, Denis moved to England to become first jockey to trainer Howard Johnson and he soon enjoyed notable success with the likes of Inglis Drever and Tidal Bay. Denis returned to Ireland in 2016 to take up a role as retained rider to leading owner Barry Connell and the pair enjoyed Cheltenham Festival success the following March when Tully East, trained by Alan Fleming, won the Close Brothers Novice Handicap Chase. Their association came to an end in July of 2018 and Denis continues to ride as a freelance.