Multiple Grade 1 winner Loughran retires from race-riding to begin new chapter

Roger Loughran, twice a Grade 1 winner, has retired from race-riding at the age of 39 to pursue a career pre-training young horses.

Every rider would love to go out on a winner but Loughran had no such luck as his final mount, Melman at Down Royal on January 29, only got as far as the first flight.

The popular rider, a native of Bohermeen in County Meath, is unfortunately best known for mistaking the winning post on Central House in the Grade 1 Paddy Power Dial-A-Bet Chase at Leopardstown in 2005.

However, Loughran did help himself to a pair of wins at the top level thanks to Schindlers Hunt, who won the race now known as the Racing Post Novice Chase at Leopardstown in 2006 and followed up in the Irish Arkle at the same track.

Ears pricked: Acapella Bourgeois neatly jumps a fence under Roger Loughran on his way to victory in the Grade 2 Ten Up Novice ChaseCredit: Patrick McCann (racingpost.com/photos)

Loughran said: "I won't be race-riding any more and have decided to concentrate on pre-training. I have about eight young horses at the moment and it's something I love doing.

"Peter Fahey has been very good to me and anyone who has given me a horse to pre-train seems to have been happy with what I've done."

He added: "I had some great times in the saddle and Central House was a proper Grade 1 horse. Dessie [Hughes] was a very special man and we had some terrific times together. He was a legend.

"Peter [Fahey] was a big help to me in the last few years and to have an association with a top horse like Peregrine Run was huge."

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