Ross Geraghty
Talk about a fast start. The veteran Irish steeplechase jockey landed in the United States last September 18, and eight days later he was in the winner’s circle at Monmouth Park after winning the $30,000 Sport of Kings Maiden Hurdle aboard Dumbarton Farm’s Easy Red.
An even bigger day in New Jersey awaited Geraghty and Tom Voss, who trained Easy Red. On Oct. 17, they joined forces to win the $250,000 Grand National (Gr. I) with Your Sum Man and the $100,000 Foxbrook Champion Hurdle with Left Unsaid. Geraghty completed his abbreviated U.S. season with purse earnings of $323,950. He won with six of his 29 mounts, a 20.7% strike rate.
From a family deeply involved with horses, he was fox hunting at age four and rode on an Irish three-day eventing team at the pony level. He began riding races as an amateur before taking out his professional license. His first racecourse victory was a dead heat aboard Fine de Claire at Punchestown on Feb. 16, 1997.
Among his big victories was the 2002 Irish Grand National aboard The Bunny Boiler. He returned home to Ireland for the past winter and kept fit by working with his staghounds.
