Aidan Coleman facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Aidan Coleman |
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Coleman in 2012
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| Occupation | Jockey |
| Born | 17 August 1988 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) |
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| Racing awards | |
| Champion Conditional Jockey (2008/09) | |
| Significant horses | |
| Jonbon, Epatante, Put The Kettle On, Paisley Park | |
Aidan Coleman, born on August 17, 1988, is a retired Irish National Hunt jockey. He spent seventeen years racing horses in Great Britain. During his career, he won four races at the famous Cheltenham Festival. He also achieved 13 wins in top-level races called Grade 1 races. In June 2023, Aidan had a bad fall at Worcester and hurt his leg. Because of this injury, he could not race horses anymore. He officially announced his retirement in April 2024, following advice from doctors.
Contents
Aidan Coleman's Racing Journey
Early Life and First Wins
Aidan grew up in a small village called Innishannon near Cork in Ireland. His parents were schoolteachers. Aidan followed his older brother, Kevin, into the world of horse racing. He started by racing ponies. In 2006, he moved to England to work for a horse trainer named Henrietta Knight.
Aidan's very first race was in December 2006. He rode a horse named Silverbar in a "bumper" race, which is a flat race for National Hunt horses. He finished 9th. His first victory came in October 2007. He won a hurdle race at Uttoxeter on a horse called Tashkandi. After that, he started working for trainer Venetia Williams.
Becoming a Champion Jockey
In the 2008/09 racing season, Aidan became the champion conditional jockey. A conditional jockey is a young rider who is still learning and gets a weight allowance in races. He won 55 races that season. He then became the main jockey for Venetia Williams's stable. This meant he would ride her horses regularly.
Aidan achieved his first big race win, a Grade 3 race, when he was just 19 years old. This happened in April 2008 at Aintree. He rode a horse named Stan, trained by Williams, to win the Red Rum Handicap Chase.
Grand National Adventures
Just two days after his big win at Aintree, Aidan rode in his first Grand National race. This is a very famous and challenging race. He finished 10th on a horse called Mon Mome. The next year, he chose to ride Stan in the Grand National, but he fell during the race. Interestingly, Mon Mome, the horse he rode the year before, went on to win that Grand National with a different jockey.
Aidan continued to ride in the Grand National almost every year until 2023. The race was cancelled in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. His best finish in the Grand National was second place in 2022, riding Balko Des Flos.
Cheltenham Festival Success
In 2009, Aidan got his first win at the prestigious Cheltenham Festival. He won the Pertemps Final on a horse named Kayf Aramis. The Cheltenham Festival is one of the most important events in National Hunt racing.
New Teams and Big Wins
In 2015, Aidan left Venetia Williams's stable. He became the main rider for a new racing operation called Bloomfields. However, this team only lasted one season. After that, Aidan spent two seasons as the main jockey for trainer Jonjo O'Neill (jockey). Then, he decided to become a freelance jockey. This means he could ride for different trainers and owners.
Aidan achieved his first Grade 1 win in December 2018. This was a very exciting moment! He rode a horse named Paisley Park to victory in the Long Walk Hurdle at Ascot. The pair continued their success, winning the Stayers' Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival in 2019. They also won the Long Walk Hurdle two more times, in 2020 and 2022.
In June 2019, Aidan reached a big milestone: he rode his 1,000th career winner!
He also had great success with a horse named Put The Kettle On, trained by Henry de Bromhead. They won two Grade 1 races at the Cheltenham Festival: the Arkle Challenge Trophy in 2020 and the Queen Mother Champion Chase in 2021.
Aidan also had many Grade 1 wins on horses owned by J. P. McManus and trained by Nicky Henderson.
- Epatante won the Fighting Fifth Hurdle in 2020 and 2021. She also won the Aintree Hurdle in 2022.
- Jonbon added four more Grade 1 victories in 2022 and 2023.
For a couple of seasons (2020/21 and 2021/22), Aidan was the main jockey for trainer Ollie Murphy. After that, he went back to being freelance. This allowed him to focus on riding top horses like Epatante, Jonbon, and Paisley Park.
Retirement from Racing
In June 2023, Aidan suffered a serious leg injury during a race at Worcester. This injury was very severe and meant he could not return to racing. In April 2024, Aidan Coleman officially announced his retirement from being a jockey, based on medical advice.
Aidan Coleman's Major Wins
Cheltenham Festival Wins (4)
- 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)
Other Big Wins in Great Britain
- 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)
