Davy Russell
Born in Youghal, County Cork on June 27, 1979, David Niall ‘Davy’ Russell retired from the saddle for the second and final time on April 15, 2023, Grand National Day, and will always be best remembered for winning back-to-back renewals of the world famous steeplechase on Tiger Roll, trained by Gordon Elliott, in 2018 and 2019. There was to be no fairytale ending to his Grand National career, though, as he was unseated from Galvin, also trained by Elliott, at the first fence on his final attempt. He had, however, won the Mersey Novices’ Hurdle on Irish Point, again trained by Ellliott, earlier in the day to take his career tally to 61 Grade 1 winners.
A successful amateur rider, with 133 point-to-point winners to his name, Russell joined Ferdy Murphy in Middleham, North Yorkshire in 2002 and rode his first winner as a professional, Inn Antique in a novices’ hurdle at Sedgefield, in November that year. He subsequently returned to Ireland to ride as a freelance jockey and between 2007 and 2013 was retained by Gigginstown House Stud. He became champion jockey in his native land three times, in 2011/12, 2012/13 and 2017/18.
As far as the Cheltenham Festival is concerned, Russell rode a total of 25 winners, starting with Native Jack, trained by Philip Rothwell, in what is now the Glenfarclas Cross Country Chase in 2006. Thereafter, he had the distinction of riding at least one Festival winner every year up to and including 2018.
He won the Pertemps Final and the Broadway Novices’ Chase three times apiece, on Mall Dini (2016), Presenting Percy (2017) and Delta Work (2018) and Weapons Amnesty (2010), Lord Windermere (2013) and Presenting Percy (2018), as well as the Triumph Hurdle on the aforementioned Tiger Roll (2014). His highest-profile Festival success came in a dramatic edition of the Cheltenham Gold Cup in 2014, when he guided Lord Windermere, trained by Jim Culloty, to a short-head victory over On His Own, trained by Willie Mullins, and survived a lengthy stewards’ inquiry.