Padraig Beggy was born on 30 March 1986 and is an Irish professional jockey, who won the 2017 Epsom Derby on Wings of Eagles and the 2019 Irish Derby on Sovereign.
12 Facts About Padraig Beggy
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Padraig Beggy first sat on a horse at the age of 14 when working for a local trainer, Owen Weldon.
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Padraig Beggy began his professional racing career in 2003 after graduating from the Racing Academy and Centre of Education in Kildare, and rode his first winner in an apprentice handicap at Naas in July of that year on Red Venus, trained by Seamus Fahey.
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Padraig Beggy was briefly apprentice with Kevin Prendergast which caused him to downscale his riding ambitions, since without the backing of a major trainer, the life of a jockey was tough.
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Padraig Beggy moved to England in 2011, and was based with trainer John Quinn one year, and David Evans the following year.
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Padraig Beggy won another eight races before moving on to further his career in Australia.
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In 2014, while in Australia, Padraig Beggy was banned from riding for fifteen months after testing positive for cocaine.
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Padraig Beggy was given the ride on Wings of Eagles, which was the fifth string according to the betting.
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The trainer said Padraig Beggy had given the horse "a peach of a ride" and called him "a world-class rider".
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Shortly after that success, Padraig Beggy was given an eight-day ban for interference when riding O'Brien's pacemaker Taj Mahal in the Eclipse at Sandown.
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Padraig Beggy soon went to the front, building up a strong lead with only stablemate Norway for company.
12.
Padraig Beggy maintained his lead going into the straight and stayed on strongly under hands and heels in the final furlong to win by six lengths from Epsom Derby winner Anthony Van Dyck.