Christy Roche (born 3 December 1949 in Bansha, County Tipperary) is a retired Irish flat racing Champion Jockey[1] and racehorse trainer.

Christy Roche
OccupationJockey, Trainer
Born (1949-12-03) 3 December 1949 (age 74)
Bansha, County Tipperary, Ireland
Major racing wins
As a jockey:
Irish Classic Races
Irish 1,000 Guineas (1976, 1978, 1995)
Irish 2,000 Guineas (1972, 1980, 1985, 1997)
Irish Derby (1982, 1992, 1997)
Irish St. Leger (1974, 1986)
British Classic Races
Derby Stakes (1984)
Oaks Stakes (1991)
Other major races:
Fillies' Mile (1975)
International Stakes (1993)
Irish Champion Stakes (1982)
Matron Stakes (1989)
Prix de l'Abbaye de Longchamp (1987)
Prix de la Forêt (1982)
Prix du Jockey Club (1982)
Prix Jean-Luc Lagardère (1984)
Tattersalls Gold Cup (1980)
Vincent O'Brien National Stakes (1997)
William Hill Futurity (1978)
Yorkshire Oaks (1976)
Significant horses
Assert, Authaal, Ballymore, Desert King, Jet Ski Lady, King of Kings, Mistigri, More So, Nikoli, Ridgewood Pearl, Sandy Creek, Sarah Siddons, Secreto, St Jovite, Triptych

Over his thirty-year career between 1968 and 1998 he won the Irish Derby three times, in 1982, 1992 and 1997. His 1997 victory was on Desert King. In Britain he won the Epsom Derby on Secreto in 1984 and the Epsom Oaks on Jet Ski Lady in 1991.

By the time of his retirement as a jockey Roche had already begun a career as a trainer. Amongst the major winners he trained were Like-A-Butterfly in the 2002 Supreme Novices' Hurdle and Grimes in the 2001 Galway Plate. He retired as a trainer in January 2018 and handed over his training licence to his son, Padraig.[2]

Major wins (as a jockey) edit

  Great Britain


  Ireland


  France


  Italy

See also edit

References edit

  1. ^ "Christy Roche". Horse Racing Ireland. Retrieved 6 January 2018.
  2. ^ "Padraig Roche excited about taking over training licence from father Christy". Racing Post. Retrieved 6 January 2018.

External links edit