Aidan Coleman (born 17 August 1988) is a retired Irish National Hunt jockey. During a seventeen-year career based in Great Britain, he rode four winners at the Cheltenham Festival and a total of 13 Grade 1 winners. In June 2023 he sustained a serious leg injury in a fall at Worcester and was unable to return to race-riding. He announced his retirement on medical advice in April 2024.
| Aidan Coleman | |
|---|---|
 Coleman in 2012 | |
| Occupation | Jockey |
| Born | 17 August 1988[1] Cork, Ireland |
| Nationality |  Irish |
| Career wins | 1251 |
| Major racing wins | |
| Top Novices' Hurdle (2022) Aintree Hurdle (2022) Fighting Fifth (2020, 2021) Queen Mother Champion Chase (2021) Long Walk Hurdle (2018, 2020) Arkle Challenge Trophy (2020) Stayers' Hurdle (2019) JLT Hurdle (2018) | |
| Racing awards | |
| Champion Conditional Jockey (2008/09) | |
| Significant horses | |
| Jonbon, Epatante, Put The Kettle On, Paisley Park | |
Career edit
Coleman was born in Cork, Ireland and moved to England in 2006 working for trainer Henrietta Knight. His first ride was in December of the same year, finishing 9th at Hereford riding Silverbar. His first victory came the following year onboard Tashkandi at Uttoxeter. Coleman would switch to being the retained jockey with Venetia Williams, and won the 2008/09 champion conditional jockey championship with 55 winners.[2][3] In April he rode in his first Grand National, onboard Mon Mome, becoming one of the youngest ever jockeys in the race aged 19.[4] He was one of the youngest riders ever to start the Grand National.[5] The following year, he opted not to ride Mon Mome in the National, instead Liam Treadwell steered the horse to victory at Aintree.[6]
After success with Williams, in 2015, Coleman joined the new Bloomfields racing operation in Newmarket with John Ferguson.[7] It was a brief but successful phase of Coleman's career. Bloomfields lasted just one season, with the horses auctioned by Tattersalls in April 2016.[8][9]
Coleman secured his first Group 1 success with Paisley Park, a horse trained by Emma Lavelle that took him to victory in the JLT Hurdle, Stayers' Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival and two Long Walk Hurdle's.[10][11][12] In June 2019, Coleman reached the 1,000 career winners mark.[13] Put The Kettle on became another successful horse for Coleman, winning both the Arkle Challenge Trophy and Queen Mother Champion Chase at Cheltenham.[14][15] Coleman has also had success with Epatante and Jonbon, winning Grade 1 races at Aintree for owner JP McManus. Whilst Coleman rides a number of the Irish owners horses, he is not officially the number one jockey for the billionaire.[16] In 2022, it was announced Coleman would no longer be the retained jockey by trainer Olly Murphy, who he had been attached to since 2020.[17]
Cheltenham Festival winners (4) edit
- Arkle Challenge Trophy - (1) - Put The Kettle On (2020)
- Queen Mother Champion Chase - (1) - Put The Kettle On (2021)
- Pertemps Final - (1) - Kayf Aramis (2009)
- Stayers' Hurdle - (1) - Paisley Park (2019)
Major wins edit
- Aintree Hurdle - (1) - Epatante (2022)
- Celebration Chase - (1) - Jonbon (2023)
- Fighting Fifth Hurdle - (2) - Epatante (2020, 2021 (dead heat))
- Henry VIII Novices' Chase - (1) - Jonbon (2022)
- Long Walk Hurdle - (3) - Paisley Park (2018, 2020, 2022)
- Top Novices' Hurdle - (1) - Jonbon (2022)
- Maghull Novices' Chase - (1) - Jonbon (2023)
Personal life edit
Coleman lives in Tewkesbury, Gloucestershire. His brother is the Irish National Hunt jockey, Kevin Coleman, who won the 2007 Galway Plate.[2] Between 2009 and 2011, Coleman was sponsored by horse racing television channel Racing UK. He also appeared on the channel as a presenter.[18] For the 2022-23 season, Coleman is sponsored by Kalooki Sportsbook.
References edit
- ^ "Aidan Coleman among those celebrating today". Racing Post. 16 August 2020.
- ^ a b "Aidan Coleman". broughscott.com. Retrieved 14 September 2022.
- ^ "Title: CHELTENHAM: Aidan Coleman". The Irish Field. Retrieved 14 September 2022.
- ^ Staff (4 April 2008). "Williams backs Coleman's talent". BBC News. Retrieved 25 January 2010.
- ^ Corrigan, Chris (2 April 2008). "Teenager Coleman given first Aintree ride". The Independent. London. Archived from the original on 4 April 2008.
- ^ "Mon Mome becomes first 100-1 Grand National winner since Foinavon". The Guardian. Retrieved 14 September 2022.
- ^ "Aidan Coleman lands role for John Ferguson". Sky Sports. Retrieved 14 September 2022.
- ^ "John Ferguson stable dispersal sale at Cheltenham in April". The Irish Field. Retrieved 14 September 2022.
- ^ "Ferguson home on the market". TDN Europe. Retrieved 14 September 2022.
- ^ "Paisley Park delivers Aidan Coleman early Christmas present in JLT Hurdle". The Guardian. Retrieved 14 September 2022.
- ^ "Paisley Park powers to victory in Sun Racing Stayers' Hurdle". Sporting Life. Retrieved 14 September 2022.
- ^ "Aidan Coleman and Paisley Park regain Long Walk crown with power-packed finish". The Irish Examiner. Retrieved 14 September 2022.
- ^ "Landmark for Aidan Coleman as he reaches 1,000 career winners". RacingTV. Retrieved 14 September 2022.
- ^ "Cheltenham Festival: Put The Kettle On lands Arkle under Aidan Coleman". Sky Sports. Retrieved 14 September 2022.
- ^ "Put The Kettle On wins Queen Mother Champion Chase at the Cheltenham Festival". Evening Standard. Retrieved 14 September 2022.
- ^ "im-just-concentrating-on-myself-coleman-plays-down-mcmanus-number-one-talk/442096". Racing Post. Retrieved 14 September 2022.
- ^ "All change for Olly Murphy as trainer ends Aidan Coleman retainer". Racing Post. Retrieved 14 September 2022.
- ^ Kimberly, Sara (12 November 2009). "Racing UK in two-year branding deal with jockey Aidan Coleman". MediaWeek. Retrieved 25 January 2010.