JOCKEY PROFILE

Date of Birth: March 23, 1986

County of origin: Kildare

First winner: Shrug (Marcus Callaghan) Punchestown, September 29, 2002

First Grade 1 winner: Defy Logic (Paul Nolan), Leopardstown, December 26, 2013. 

Significant horses (Selected): Espoir D'allen, Jezki, Simply Ned, Carlingford Lough, Aramax, Bleu Berry, Captain Cee Bee, Gilgamboa, Kitten Rock, Sort It Out, Glenfinn Captain, Aranleigh, See U Bob, Bob Lingo, Stocktons Wing, Double Seven, Defy Logic, Little King Robin, Free Expression, P’Tit Fute, Shattered Love, City Island, Unowhatimeanharry, Fakir D'oudairies, Janidil, Early Doors, Battleoverdoyen, Vanillier. 

Assoc. Trainers: Gavin Cromwell, Edward O'Grady, Padraig Roche, Enda Bolger, Joseph O'Brien, Tom Mullins, Gordon Elliott, Martin Brassil, Noel Meade, Tony Martin, Willie Mullins

Did you know?

From Clane, County Kildare, Mark Walsh has forged a close association with leading owner JP McManus and is regularly to be seen in the famous green and gold hoops.

He rode his first Grade 1 winner on the McManus-owned Defy Logic at the Leopardstown Christmas festival in 2013. Injury robbed him of a first jockey's championship in the 2014/15 season but he finished the term on a high with success on Jezki in the Grade 1 Ladbrokes World Series Hurdle at the Irish National Hunt Festival at Punchestown.

Mark rode his first Cheltenham Festival winner on the Willie Mullins-trained Bleu Berry in the Coral Cup on March 14, 2018 and his biggest success came on the same stage a year later when he won the Unibet Champion Hurdle on the Gavin Cromwell-trained Espoir D'allen in the McManus colours. He also won the Ballymore Novices' Hurdle at the Festival for trainer Martin Brassil in 2019 and added a fourth Cheltenham success when winning the Boodles Juvenile Handicap Hurdle on the Gordon Elliott-trained Aramax in 2020. 

Mark has ridden four winners on the same card on two occasions, firstly at Limerick on December 1, 2017 and again at Navan on Friday, January 29, 2021 where his four-timer was shared with four different trainers but each of his winners was owned by JP McManus. 

Mark recorded his fifth Cheltenham Festival winner on Vanillier in the Albert Bartlett Novices' Hurdle in 2021. He replaced the injured Jonathan Moore at the 11th hour on the Gavin Cromwell-trained winner. He brought his festival tally to seven with a further two winners at the meeting the following year.