Paul Carberry

DOB: February 9, 1974

Paul Carnberry rode his first winner when apprenticed to Jim Bolger at Leopardstown in August 1990 on a filly named Petronelli, but rising weight forced him to switch his attention to the National Hunt game. He has long been associated with trainer Ireland’s leading National Hunt trainer, Noel Meade, although he did spend a number of years riding as first jockey to owner Robert Ogden in England.

His first Cheltenham Festival winner came aboard the Homer Scott-trained Rhythm Section in the 1993 Champion Bumper, while in 1999 he gained his most famous victory yet aboard his father’s Bobbyjo in the Martell Grand National at Aintree. The image of him swinging from the rafters in the aftermath of that race was a testament to his ‘exuberant’ nature and will live forever in Aintree folklore.

The last number of seasons have seen Carberry continue to gain consistent successes at the highest level. In 2005/6, he did the Lexus Chase/Hennessey Cognac Gold Cup double on Beef Or Salmon before entering the Cheltenham winner’s enclosure on two occasions at the March Festival with Nicanor taking the Royal & Sun Alliance Novice Hurdle and Hairy Molly in the Weatherbys Champion Bumper.

In 2006/7, Carberry landed Grade 1 victories on the likes on Iktitaf and Aran Concerto(2), but those wins would prove to be his last at the highest level during the season as injury resulted in him missing much of the spring period, including the Cheltenham Festival. He maintained a consistent level of success in the 2007/8 season, winning Grade 1 contests on the likes of Aitmatov and Muirhead before gaining particularly satisfying wins on Harchibald in the Fighting Fifth Hurdle and on Emma Lavelle-trained Crack Away Jack in the Fred Winter Juvenile Novices´ Handicap Hurdle.

Last season has been just as successful as the ones that preceded it, with notable highlights coming on Harchibald in the Christmas Hurdle at Kempton, Go Native in the Supreme Novice Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival and Aran Concerto in the Powers Gold Cup at the Fairyhouse Easter Festival.

Cheltenham Festival Wins: (11)

Weatherbys Bumper: 1993 Rhythm Section, 2006 Hairy Molly

William Hill: 1998 Unguided Missile, 2002 Frenchman’s Creek

Neptune: 2006 Nicanor

RSA Chase: 1999 Looks Like Trouble

Spinal Research Supreme: 2000 Sausalito Bay, 2009 Go Native

Pertemps Final: 2005 Oulart

Johnny Henderson Grand Annual: 2005 Fota Island

Fred Winter: 2008 Crack Away Jack