Trainer Profile

County Of Origin: Wexford

Date of licence: 1976

First winner: Peaceful Pleasure (Dessie Hughes), Roscommon, September 20, 1976

1,000th winner: Staviski (Christy Roche) Roscommmon, June 7, 1992

2,000th winner: Teacht An Earraig (Danny Mullins) Curragh, May 25, 2008

Significant horses (selected): Flame Of Tara, Park Appeal, Teofilo, Jet Ski Lady, Polonia, St Jovite, Alexander Goldrun, Finsceal Beo, New Approach, Dawn Approach, Pleascach, Verbal Dexterity, Condessa, Park Express, Give Thanks, Lush Lashes, Poetic Flare, Mac Swiney. 

Assoc. jockeys: Kevin Manning, Rory Cleary, Willie Byrne, Luke McAteer. 

Did you know:

From Oylegate, County Wexford, Jim Bolger has enjoyed tremendous success as a trainer and breeder since taking out his licence in 1976. Dessie Hughes rode Bolger's first winner, Peaceful Pleasure, the 2/1 second favourite in the Ballymurray Handicap Hurdle at Roscommon in September of the same year.

Bolger was based close to the Phoenix Park in Dublin since when he first started training, but left the capital city in the early 1980s. He has built up a fine training establishment in Coolcullen, County Carlow, that has helped him capture many big races around the world in the last four decades.

He has trained some exceptional colts in the recent past, with Teofilo, New Approach and Dawn Approach all winning an array of prestigious Group 1 contests, with the first-named pair going on to become successful stallions. Jim Bolger is also renowned for his handling of fillies and mares and has enjoyed notable success with the likes of Flame Of Tara, Finsceal Beo, Park Appeal, Jet Ski Lady and Alexander Goldrun. Bolger has trained over 2,700 winners.

Along with leading jump jockey Davy Russell, Jim Bolger founded Hurling For Cancer in 2011 and the charity, which features an annual hurling match with teams made up of GAA and racing stars, has raised well in excess of €1m.