Michael Kinane Horse Racing Jockey

Michael Kinane Horse Racing Jockey

Michael Kinane is a flat racing jockey, born June 22, 1959 at Killenaule in County Tipperary, Ireland. Today he resides with his wife and two daughters Aisling and Sinead, in Naas, County Kildare, Ireland. His father, Tommy Kinane, was also well known for his riding capabilities and was a leading National Hunt racing jockey, winning the Champion Hurdle on Monksfield. With that type of family up bringing it comes at no surprise that Michael's three brothers are also jockeys.

Over two decades Michael Kinane has won numerous amounts of races in the English, Irish and French Classic races. Kinane has ridden on winners in the Epsom Derby two times, won the 2,000 Guineas three times, and in the Belmont Stakes, held in the United States, once. On top of that he has also won at the Breeders' Cup three times in High Chaparral (2002 and 2003 Turf) and Johannesburg (2001 Juvenile) and has been made champion jockey of Ireland on many occasions.

Aidan O'Brien and John Magnier took Michael Kinane on at Ballydoyle as a stable jockey and with them he won several group 1 races, which included the Arc de Triomphe on Montjeu and two wins in England on Stravinsky. Michael has also spent a lot of time associating with the top flat trainers John Oxx and Dermot Weld, which has helped him become the success he is. Michael Kinane became an apprentice to Liam Browne, which helped him when he won his first winner at Leopardstown in 1975. Today he is still viewed as one of Europe's elite jockeys and one of the leading professionals of his sport with big wins at Epsom and Longchamp behind his name.

He has won over eight top races in Europe over the years including the Prix de I'Arc de Triomphe on Carroll House as well as other top races outside of Europe. At the end of 2006 he was ranked 6th in the Irish Jockeys' Championship with a total of 45 wins to his name for that year. Horses that have provided him with many wins have been the O'Brien-trained Giant's Causeway as well as Rock of Gibraltar who he rode in 2001-2002 in six of his seven consecutive group 1 wins.