JOCKEY PROFILE

Date of Birth: June 6, 2000

County of origin: Tipperary

First winner: Locus Standi (Jim Bolger) Dundalk, March 16, 2017 

Champion apprentice: 2020

HRI Award winner: Emerging Talent (2020); Ride of the Year Award (2020)

Assoc. Trainers: Donnacha O'Brien

Significant horses: Shale, Saltonstall, Current Option, Truffles,  Dawn Hoofer, Trossachs, Helvic Dream, Edification Locus Standi. 

Did you know:

From Killenaule, County Tipperary, Gavin rode a winner on his first ride on the racecourse when Locus Standi, trained by Jim Bolger, won the Follow Us On Twitter Handicap at Dundalk on March 16, 2017. He began his career with point-to-point trainer Aidan Kennedy and Edward O'Grady and then joined Jim Bolger as an apprentice. Gavin combines his riding career with school work and will sit his Leaving Certificate exams in June, 2019. 

Gavin rode the first double of his career at Dundalk on Friday, January 18, 2019 when he was successful on the Jim Bolger-trained McGuigan and Latchet. He rode his first treble at the same venue in November of the following year on when successful on the Donnacha O'Brien-trained Hazel, Ado McGuinness' Eglish and Pachmena for Johnny Feane, riding out his claim in the process.

The following afternoon at Naas, Gavin was crowned champion apprentice for 2020 with 51 winners. Gavin finished 15 winners clear of runner-up Shane Crosse.

Gavin was a dual winner at the 2020 Horse Racing Ireland Awards. On the back of a terrific season that saw him crowned champion apprentice, ride his first Group race winner and become the leading Flat jockey at the Galway festival, Gavin was the winner of the Emerging Talent Award.

For his winning effort on the Ado McGuinness-trained Saltonstall in the Colm Quinn BMW Mile Handicap at Galway, Gavin topped a public poll to also win the 2020 Ride of the Year Award.