Dougie Costello

Dougie Costello (born Ireland Co Galway, 1983) is a Double Group 1 winning Irish jockey. He now rides on the flat, having previously been a jump jockey. He is one of the few jockeys to have won at the top level in both codes - the 2012 Triumph Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival on Countrywide Flame, and the 2016 Commonwealth Cup on Quiet Reflection at Royal Ascot.

Dougie Costello
OccupationJockey
Born1983
Height5 ft 9 in (175 cm)
Weight8 st 9 lb (121 lb; 55 kg) (lowest)
Racing awards
Top Conditional at Wetherby racecourse & Top Jockey Magic Moment award
Significant horses
Countrywide Flame
Quiet Reflection

His family background is in hunting, and in his teens he spent time in America riding horses in time trials.[1]

Costello made the switch from National Hunt to riding on the Flat because he felt it was better both financially and for career longevity,[2] but he kept his options open to riding over jumps too.[1] Initially he rode for trainers William Muir, Paul Midgley, Mark Walford and Jo Hughes. For the latter, he also rode in France.[1]

He linked up with trainer Karl Burke in the Autumn of 2015.[2] Burke's Quiet Reflection has been his most successful partnership since the code switch. On the horse he won the Prix Sigy in April 2016, the Sandy Lane Stakes the following month, before two Group 1 successes in the Commonwealth Cup and Haydock Sprint Cup.

Burke ended his partnership with Costello in May 2017, saying "things didn't quite pan out as I'd hoped". Costello vowed to work twice as hard to get other big race victories.[3]

Statistics

Flat wins in Great Britain by year[4]

YearWinsRunsStrike RateTotal Earnings
2007080£1,371
2008040£963
2009020£482
2010000£0
2011010—
20132683£14,608
20145925£27,316
2015122235£139,168
2016385727£834,067
2017[lower-alpha 1]574929£407,477

Jumps wins in Great Britain by year[4]

YearWinsRunsStrike RateTotal Earnings
2007-08354089£334,562
2008-09324008£302,265
2009-103830812£342,779
2010-115736616£444,400
2011-124237711£438,608
2012-135347111£445,788
2013-14324317£268,665
2014-15404429£341,390
2015-16119312£57,622
2016-17060£615

Major wins

Great Britain Flat

Jumps

Notes
  1. to 28 Oct

References
  1. "I thought jump jockeys were soft but I know better now – Costello". Yorkshire Post. 15 August 2015. Retrieved 28 October 2017.
  2. "Stars: Jockeys - Dougie Costello". QIPCO British Champions Series. Retrieved 28 October 2017.
  3. Cook, Chris (8 May 2017). "Dougie Costello splits from Quiet Reflection but hopes for fresh break". The Guardian. Retrieved 28 October 2017.
  4. "Profile: Jockey - Dougie Costello - Stats". Racing Post. Retrieved 28 October 2017.
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