'It’s been a great journey and I wouldn’t have swapped it for anything' - Group 1 winning trainer Mick Halford announces retirement

Group 1 and Royal Ascot-winning trainer Mick Halford has announced his joint-venture with Tracey Collins will come to an end shortly and that he will retire before the start of the turf season.
Halford, who since 2023 has held a joint-licence with Collins, has trained for 41 years and handled horses for many of the sport's most esteemed owners, including his long-serving patron the Aga Khan and Sheikh Mohammed, who owned his sole Flat Group 1 winner Casamento, winner of the 2010 Racing Post Trophy.
"Unfortunately our numbers aren’t what they once were and I’m not getting any younger so before the 2025 season gets under way it felt like the right time to bow out and give my excellent staff and loyal owners a chance to move elsewhere before the season starts," he said.
“To everyone who has supported us since the early 1980s I extend my heartfelt thanks and gratitude. It’s been a great journey and I wouldn’t have swapped it for anything. We have a great industry in Ireland and one that we can be very proud of and I hope that I can play some part in it over the coming years.”
Halford, 62, previously served as chairman of the Irish Racehorse Trainers Association and sat on Horse Racing Ireland's board on the trainers' behalf.

When he first took out a licence at Pollardstown on the Curragh in 1984 at the age of 21 he was one of the youngest licence-holders of his generation, and he went on to saddle around 1,200 winners across both codes, including many on his forays to Dubai.
Halford, who rode over 50 winners as an amateur rider, initially mixed it as a trainer on the Flat and over jumps, and his first top-level victory was with Golden Cross in the 2m Grade 1 hurdle at the Leopardstown Christmas festival in 2003.
The same horse twice came close to giving Johnny Murtagh a marquee win over jumps, being beaten a short-head by Solerina in the 2005 Hatton's Grace Hurdle at Fairyhouse before a similarly dramatic head defeat behind My Way De Solzen in the World Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival the following March.
However, Halford ultimately switched his focus to the Flat and made a statement of intent in 2005 when he and his second wife Louise purchased a 57-acre greenfield site at Duneany, just off the Curragh, which they transformed into the state-of-the-art Copper Beech Stables.
Halford's enterprise was rewarded and he soon established himself as a top-ten trainer, finishing fourth in the championship in 2005 and fifth in 2014 and 2016, all the while capitalising on the arrival of Dundalk's all-weather circuit in 2007 to become the leading handler at the track.
Throughout, he consistently produced a raft of classy stalwarts like Platinum Warrior, Invincible Ash, Russian Soul, Certerach, Snaefell, Quinmaster, Surrounding, Toscanini and Portage, who was his sole winner at Royal Ascot in the 2016 Hunt Cup in the Godolphin colours.

He was also consistently supported by the Aga Khan, a relationship that endured for many years through smart performers like Raydara, Rehana and Hamariyna.
"Over the last 40 years I’ve been lucky enough to train for some of the world’s leading owners and there have been many highlights along the way, with Casamento’s Racing Post Trophy victory and Portage’s Royal Ascot success among them, along with Certerach’s win on Dubai World Cup night, which was a really special day for us all as his owner Paul Rooney has always been such a tremendous supporter of the yard," he said.
“Being entrusted with horses for the Aga Khan for the best part of 20 years has also been a huge honour and I leave with no regrets. I’ve enjoyed every minute of it and I’m hoping to stay involved in racing but for the moment I’ve no plans in terms of what is next."
After separating from his wife in 2023, Halford moved from Copper Beech and joined forces with Collins at Conygham Lodge. The Aga Khan continued to support that venture, which produced a cumulative 25 winners in 2023 and 2024. It is understood Collins will revert to training exclusively in her own name.
Golden Cross, Casamento and Certerach: three of the best from Mick Halford's long career as a trainer
Mick Halford’s first top-level success came over jumps with Golden Cross, who defied odds of 66-1 in the two-mile Grade 1 hurdle at the Leopardstown Christmas festival in 2003.
Golden Cross finished third when favourite for the Triumph Hurdle and Punchestown Champion Four Year Old Hurdle the previous season and was rated just 130 when successful under Adrian Lane. The beaten horses included Solerina, Rhinestone Cowboy, Hardy Eustace and Back In Front.

He went on to finish seventh in that season’s Champion Hurdle and was Johnny Murtagh’s mount under both codes the following campaign, winning two high-level Flat handicaps before a short-head second to Solerina in the Hatton’s Grace at Fairyhouse and a head second to My Way De Solzen in the World Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival.
Sheikh Mohammed’s Casamento provided Halford with a Group 1 win on the Flat in the Racing Post Trophy at Doncaster in 2010.
The son of Shamardal was a narrow runner-up in the National Stakes at the Curragh on his second start and was 2-1 favourite on Town Moor on the back of a four-length win in the Beresford Stakes under Pat Smullen.
Ridden by Frankie Dettori for the first time, Casamento stayed on best to beat Seville by three-quarters of a length at Doncaster. He joined Mahmood Al Zarooni for his three-year-old campaign, raced in Godolphin’s silks and won one of his four starts in a Group 3 at Longchamp.

Certerach developed into a smart Group performer for Halford, with connections enjoying three winter campaigns at Meydan.
A Nad Al Sheba Trophy second was the highlight of his first trip to Dubai in 2013 and the following year he landed the Dubai Gold Cup on World Cup night, beating Cavalryman by a neck under Jamie Spencer.
That proved to be the last of Certerach’s four wins, although he finished second again in the Nad Al Sheba Trophy on his penultimate start in 2016.
Mick Halford CV
Full name Michael Martin Halford
Born June 6, 1962
Assistant to Noel Meade, Navan, County Meath
Stables Pollardstown, Curragh to 2007; Copper Beech Stables, Duneany 2008-22; Conyngham Lodge, Curragh (joint-trainer with Tracey Collins) 2023-25
First winner as trainer Kath-Der-Mar (ridden by himself) bumper, Wexford, July 2, 1984
First high-class horse Cockney Lass (won Curragh maiden 1985)
First Pattern winner Golden Cross (2002 Juvenile 3-Y-O Hurdle, Fairyhouse)
December Festival Hurdle winner Golden Cross (2003)
Racing Post Trophy winner Casamento (2010)
Beresford Stakes winner Casamento (2010)
Dubai Gold Cup winner Certerach (2014 at 33-1)
Debutante Stakes winner Raydara (2014)
Royal Ascot winner Portage (2016 Royal Hunt Cup)
World Hurdle runner-up Golden Cross (2006, to My Way De Solzen)
1,000th win in Ireland Platinum Warrior, Gallinule Stakes, Curragh, May 27, 2018
First winner as joint-trainer with Tracey Collins Cosmic Vega, Owenstown Stud Stakes, Naas , May 21, 2023
Highest-rated jumper (RPRs) Golden Cross (165)
Highest-rated Flat horses (RPRs) Casamento (121), Sinawann (118)
Most prolific Pattern winners Golden Cross (4 over hurdles), Snaefell (3 on Flat)
Richest prize £361,446 (2014 Dubai Gold Cup, won by Certerach)
Group/Grade 1 wins 2
Most wins in a year 58 in 2014 (Ireland 53, UAE 5)
Highest position in Irish trainers' championship 4th in 2005
Compiled by John Randall
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