'I thought I'd be riding a lot longer' - Conor Hoban retires from the saddle to give pre-training business full attention

Conor Hoban has said winning the Irish Cambridgeshire on Bopedro, a horse he pre-trained himself, was the moment that gave him most satisfaction during his 15-year riding career. 

After guiding Samrogue to victory in a sprint handicap at Dundalk on Friday night, Hoban announced his retirement from race-riding at the age of just 33 in order to pursue his breaking and pre-training business outside Monasterevin in County Kildare. 

Hoban spent most of his career riding for Michael Halford and the success of Samrogue was his 218th winner. 

Explaining his decision to retire from race-riding, Hoban said: "It's just gone so busy with the breaking and pre-training and I'm very lucky that some of the biggest owners and trainers worldwide have sent horses to us. 

"It's important that I give it my full 100 per cent commitment. We have brilliant staff who looked after things while I was away racing for the last few years, but it's just got to the stage where I need to give it my full commitment. I didn't want to be giving one 80 per cent and the other 20 per cent. I needed to give 100 per cent in the yard at home."

Hoban has already established a big reputation for himself as one of the best breakers and pre-trainers in the business and among the hundreds of winners to begin their racing careers with him were Irish Oaks winner Magical Lagoon, Irish St Leger hero Sonnyboyliston and Matron Stakes heroine Champers Elysees. 

One Look, a leading fancy for next year's Qipco 1,000 Guineas following a dazzling debut in the Goffs Million at the Curragh, was also pre-trained by Hoban. 

He said: "I thought I would be riding a lot longer but this has just taken over in the last few years. We've had two Classic winners and Champers Elysees was our first Group 1 winner when she won the Matron. Johnny [Murtagh] has been our main supporter all along and it's thanks to him that it's taken off. He's backed us from the very start."

When asked for the highlight of his riding career, Hoban was typically modest and said: "I never really got going, so there probably weren't too many. I tipped away, but I will say I got a great kick out of winning the Irish Cambridgeshire on Bopedro. I had him in pre-training for a long time and knew him well. That was a great winner and one that I really enjoyed."

Hogan's best year arrived in 2014, during which he rode 27 winners. He reached 20 winners in a season on five occasions.

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