JOCKEY PROFILE

County of origin: Wexford

First winner: Chapel Garden (John Clifford) Thurles, December 22, 2013

Significant horses (Selected): General Principle, Fast Or Slow, Busselton, Home By The Lee, Brucio, Ivanovich Gorbatov, Tower Bridge, Band Of Outlaws, Champagne Classic, Lark In The Mornin, Moylisha Tim, Prairie Dancer, Brideswell Lad, Celestial Horizon, San Salvador, Fakir D'Oudairies. 

Assoc. Trainers: Joseph O'Brien, Gordon Elliott, Liz Doyle, Richie Rath, Sean Doyle, Shay Slevin

Did you know:

From Kiltrea, Caim, County Wexford, James Joseph Slevin began his career as an amateur rider and turned professional in August 2016. He rode 34 winners "between the flags" with his first success coming on Herecomestherain, trained by his father Shay, at Ballydarragh on November 14th, 2010. His first winner on the racecourse proper came on the John Clifford-trained Chapel Garden in the Curaheen INH Flat Race at Thurles on December 22, 2013.

In all, he rode 11 winners as an amateur, including two for trainer Nigel Twiston-Davies in Britain. His first success as a professional came when he dead-heated on the Sean Doyle-trained Craig Star with Liam Cusack's Lasoscar in the Tote Handicap Hurdle at Roscommon on August 29, 2016. Just four days later, he enjoyed his first outright success when Doyle's Crosshue Boy landed the Martinstown Opportunity Handicap Hurdle at Kilbeggan.

JJ was still an amateur when enjoying a notable success on the Richie Rath-trained Moylisha Tim in a Grade 3 novice hurdle at Cork in November 2015 but a higher profile success came his way at the Cheltenham Festival in March 2017 when he landed the Martin Pipe Conditional Jockeys' Handicap Hurdle on the Gordon Elliott-trained Champagne Classic. He rode a second Cheltenham Festival winner in 2019 when he won the Fred Winter Handicap Hurdle on the Joseph O'Brien-trained Band Of Outlaws and made it three wins at the Festival when taking the same race on Lark In The Mornin, another trained by O'Brien, in 2024. 

He rode his first Grade 1 winner when taking the Nathaniel Lacy & Partners Solicitors Novice Hurdle on the Joseph O'Brien-trained Tower Bridge on the opening day of the inaugural Dublin Racing Festival at Leopardstown on Saturday, February 3, 2018. It was his first ride in a top-level contest. A bigger winner came in the shape of General Principle, trained by Gordon Elliott, on which Slevin won the BoyleSports Irish Grand National at Fairyhouse on Easter Monday, April 2, 2018 and Fast Or Slow added further Grade 1 wins with success in both the Punchestown Gold Cup and the John Durkan Memorial Punchestown Chase in 2024. 

JJ holds a degree in journalism from Griffith College, Dublin. 

Updated: March 12, 2024