End of an era as 'loyal' Derby winner Manning hangs up boots after 40 years

Jim Bolger has hailed the loyalty of Kevin Manning after his Derby-winning stable jockey of nearly 30 years shocked onlookers by announcing his retirement following victory on the odds-on favourite Vocal Studies at Galway on Monday.

Manning has always been one of the most reserved members of the weighing room, so it was apt the 55-year-old should elect to quietly bow out on a damp, low-key bank holiday afternoon in Ballybrit.

Successful in the 2008 Derby at Epsom on New Approach, he won eight British and Irish Classics and was associated with a succession of Bolger’s star names.

The two combined to win the Dewhurst Stakes five times between 2006 and 2012 with Teofilo, New Approach, Intense Focus, Parish Hall and Dawn Approach, landed a pair of 2,000 Guineas in Britain with Dawn Approach (2013) and Poetic Flare (2021) and nearly pulled off a historic 1,000 Guineas hat-trick when Finsceal Beo was narrowly beaten by Darjina in the French equivalent at Longchamp in 2007, in between winning the Newmarket and Curragh Classics.

Manning, who endured a life-long battle with the scales, succeeded Christy Roche as Bolger’s first choice rider in 1993, and he rode the vast majority of a tally in excess of 1,600 winners for the Coolcullen maestro, whose daughter Una he is married to. They have two children together, Clare and James.

After Vocal Studies sluiced through the Galway mud in the colours of the trainer’s wife Jackie, Manning announced his decision and was given a hearty reception by his weighing room colleagues and all of those in attendance. “It's a great way to finish, riding one for the boss and in Jackie's colours,” he told Racing TV.

“They've been my supporters all through my career and Jim has been unbelievable to me. I started out with him and finished up with him. To ride a winner for Jim and in Jackie's colours meant an awful lot to me.”

Of the understated nature of his departure after nearly 40 years in the saddle, he added: "It was a quiet day but everybody was very good. It has been a fantastic career and I've enjoyed every minute of it, but I really need to thank Jim and Jackie for the support over the years – and of course Una for putting up with me for so long.”

Poetic Flare: 2,000 Guineas and St James's Palace winner for Kevin Manning last yearCredit: Edward Whitaker

Manning, a native of Kilsallaghan in County Dublin, rode his first winner for Bolger aboard Keynes at the Curragh on April 23, 1983.

A dual champion apprentice in 1984 and 1987, he graduated to the role of stable jockey when Roche joined Aidan O’Brien and was twice a runner-up in the Irish jockeys' championship. He was reckoned to be one of the longest-serving stable jockeys in the world. Mike Smith, the legendary US rider, is among the few active riders who can boast as long a tenure.

“Kevin has been a great jockey for us for almost 40 years and we are going to miss him very much,” Bolger said on Monday. “He had a brilliant career. In a way, it closes the page on the Michael Kinane, Johnny Murtagh, Kevin Manning era. He is the last one out so it's true to say that it is the end of an era.”

Asked about the highlights of their time together, Bolger was not short of options. “From a slightly selfish point of view I remember him winning the Dewhurst on Teofilo and then he went on to win another four after that,” he recalled.

“Three of those, Teofilo, New Approach and Dawn Approach, were European champion two-year-olds, so they were big days. And the biggest day of all was Trading Leather at the Curragh winning the Irish Derby, a homebred horse, so that was a great day for us.

“Epsom with New Approach was very good, and he wasn't an easy horse to ride until the very last day he ran in the Champion Stakes. In the Derby, he was difficult, but Kevin got the job done, proving he is right up there with the very best.”

The first of Manning’s 36 Group 1 victories came aboard the high-class juvenile Eva Luna in the 1994 Phoenix Stakes at Leopardstown, although the only success at the highest level across the next decade was that of Margarula in the 2002 Irish Oaks.

Bolger’s second coming kicked off with the arrival of Alexander Goldrun, who recorded the first of her five Group 1s in the 2004 Prix de l’Opera.

Manning’s Group 1 haul was exclusively for Bolger. Asked if his jockey was undervalued by others, Bolger replied: “Kevin didn't put himself out there. He was an extremely loyal stable jockey and that probably impacted on his career as a jockey. He wasn't out there soliciting for rides.

“He has been a wonderful jockey for me and I can honestly say, hand on heart, we have never had words in all the years he has been riding for me. I am going to miss him very much and I wish him well with the rest of his life.”

Bolger revealed Manning had not discussed his retirement plans with him and that the matter of his successor was “for another day”. Manning, for his part, also said that he had not given any serious thought to future plans.

“It was a day that was always going to come sooner or later,” he said of the decision to step down at Galway. “What brought it along was I really didn't intend going back next year and I was suspended for the last day of the season at Naas, so this was the last grass meeting.

"Coming racing today I said to myself, if I rode a winner I might just call it a day, but even when I pulled up and came back in, I had three more good rides and I said to Una, 'What do you think?' Anyway, I did it and that was it. Decision made.”

Full name Kevin James Manning

Born March 7, 1967

Apprenticed to Jim Bolger

First winner Keynes, Curragh, April 23, 1983

First Group 1 winner Eva Luna (1994 Phoenix Stakes)

Derby winner New Approach (2008)

Irish Derby winner Trading Leather (2013)

Other Irish Classic winners Margarula (2002 Oaks), Finsceal Beo (2007 1,000 Guineas), Pleascach (2015 1,000 Guineas)

Other British Classic winners Finsceal Beo (2007 1,000 Guineas), Dawn Approach (2013 2,000 Guineas), Poetic Flare (2021 2,000 Guineas)

Irish Champion Stakes winner New Approach (2008)

Champion Stakes winner (Newmarket) New Approach (2008)

Hong Kong Cup winner Alexander Goldrun (2004)

Tattersalls Gold Cup winner Perfect Imposter (1994)

St James's Palace Stakes winners Dawn Approach (2013), Poetic Flare (2021)

Coronation Stakes winner Lush Lashes (2008)

Unbeaten champion Teofilo (5 races including National & Dewhurst Stakes 2006, champion two-year-old)

Champion apprentice 1984, 1987

Group 1 wins 36

Most wins in an Irish season 81 in 1994
Compiled by John Randall

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