JOCKEY PROFILE

Date of Birth: April 22, 1999

County of origin: Kerry

Champion Jockey: 2023/2024

First winner: Funny How (Pat Flynn) Cork, May 22, 2015

500th career winner: Yeats Star (Gordon Elliott) Downpatrick, October 6, 2023

First four-timer: Down Royal, November 10, 2023 (Hunting Brook, Brighterdaysahead, Irish Point, Found A Fifty (all trained by Gordon Elliott))

Significant horses (selected): Minella Indo, Teahupoo, Apple's Jade, Samcro, Shattered Love, Zanahiyr, Quilixios, Farclas, Outlander, Death Duty, Battleoverdoyen, Mengli Khan, Riverside City, A Toi Phil, Clondaw Warrior, Ball D'Arc, Definite Ruby, Jury Duty, Clarcam, Tocororo, Bless The Wings, Prince Of Scars, Veneer Of Charm, Zanjabeel, Monbeg Notorious. 

Assoc. Trainers: Gordon Elliott

Did you know? 

From Dingle, County Kerry, Jack Kennedy rode 123 winners in Ireland to be crowned champion jockey for the first time at the end of the 2023/2024 season. He became the youngest jockey in modern times at 21 years of age to win the Cheltenham Gold Cup in 2021 renewal on the Henry de Bromhead-trained Minella Indo. Kennedy was only 17 when he rode his first winner at the Festival. 

He burst onto the scene in the summer of 2015 and was undoubtedly the find of the year. He is a graduate of the pony racing circuit and won the Dingle Derby on Coola Boula in 2014. After starting out with Tommy Stack, he moved to Gordon Elliott and had his first ride on the racecourse at Clonmel on May 7, 2015. Just two weeks later, he rode his first winner on just his seventh ride when partnering the Pat Flynn-trained Funny How to win a seven-furlong handicap at Cork. His first success over hurdles quickly followed at Down Royal on May 29 when he rode Eshtiaal to win a handicap hurdle by 11 lengths for Gordon Elliott. In the very next race, he partnered a second winner for the County Meath trainer when winning another handicap hurdle on Mustadrik, this time by 17 lengths.

Jack rode his first winner over fences when taking the €100,000 Ladbrokes Troytown Handicap Chase on the JP McManus-owned Riverside City, another trained by Gordon Elliott at Navan on November 22, 2015. Riverside City was the middle leg of a treble for Kennedy that same day at Navan, the first of his career. A year and a day after riding his first winner over hurdles, Kennedy rode out his claim when partnering the Norman Lee-trained Troublesombrothers to win a maiden hurdle at Ballinrobe.

He landed his first Grade 1 success when partnering the Gordon Elliott-trained Outlander to win the Lexus Chase at Leopardstown on December 28, 2016. It was also his 100th winner in the saddle. A second Grade 1 success came just two weeks later when Kennedy partnered the Elliott-trained Death Duty to success in the Lawlor's Hotel Novice Hurdle at Naas.

Kennedy was still 17 years old when he partnered his first winner at the Cheltenham Festival when the Gordon Elliott-trained Labaik won the Supreme Novices' Hurdle on March 14, 2017. The following year, he won four races at the Cheltenham Festival matching the tally of the week's leading rider, Davy Russell. However, Russell won the title as he had ridden more placed horses. Kennedy also rode four winners at the 2021 Festival, finishing runner-up in the jockeys' title race to Rachael Blackmore (six winners).

He missed the 2020 and 2023 Festivals through injury. Jack brought his Cheltenham Festival tally to 11 winners when taking the Stayers' Hurdle on the Gordon Elliott-trained Teahupoo in March 2024. 

Jack reportedly rode his 500th career winner on the Gordon Elliott-trained Yeats Star at Downpartick on Friday, October 6, 2023. 

Jack rode four winners on the same card for the first time when winning on Hunting Brook, Brighterdaysahead, Irish Point and Found A Fifty, all trained by Gordon Elliott, at Down Royal on Friday, November 10, 2023. Jack again rode four winners at Down Royal on Wednesday, January 23, 2024. This time he rode three winners for Gordon Elliott and a winner for trainer Ian Donoghue. 

Jack reached the 100-winner mark in a season for the first time when partnering the Gordon Elliott-trained Coko Beach to win at Punchestown on Monday, February 5, 2024. He finished the season with a tally of 123 winners, two clear of Paul Townend, to become champion jockey for the first time. 

Updated: May 7, 2024