Dougie Costello

Dougie Costello (born March 1983) is an Irish jockey who is based in Britain. Since 2015, he has ridden mainly 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, including the 2012 Triumph Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival on Countrywide Flame and the 2016 Commonwealth Cup on Quiet Reflection at Royal Ascot.

Background

Unlike many top jockeys, Costello does not have a family background in racing. He grew up as the only child of a single mother on a council estate in Galway and was introduced to riding by an uncle who went hunting. He moved to North Yorkshire to work first in the yard of trainer Mary Reveley and then for trainers Martin Todhunter and John Quinn. His first win on came on York Rite, trained by Richard Guest, in a conditional jockeys' handicap hurdle at Bangor-on-Dee on 1 August 2023.

Career as a jockey

Costello won his first Grade race in November 2006, when he rode Crow Wood to victory in the Grade 2 Elite Hurdle at Wincanton for Quinn. He won the same race the following year on Kings Quay, also trained by Quinn. He achieved his first Grade 1 success when Wayward Prince, trained by Ian Williams, won the Sefton Novices' Hurdle at Aintree in April 2010. Later that year, there was another notable Aintree victory, when Monet's Garden won the Old Roan Chase for trainer Nicky Richards. The following month he had his first ride in the Grand National, on Postmaster, trained by Tim Vaughn, who was pulled up at the 22nd fence. He also rode in the Grand National in 2013, coming ninth on Saint Are, and in 2015, coming nineteenth on Dolatulo. In 2016 he rode as stable jockey to Middleham trainer Karl Burke, whose filly Quiet Reflection provided him with success in the Prix Sigy in April 2016, the Sandy Lane Stakes the following month, the Group 1 Commonwealth Cup at Royal Ascot and the Group 1 Haydock Sprint Cup in September. Since making the switch in codes, Costello still rides occasionally over jumps. The couple have three children. From 2013 to 2017, Costello wrote a racing column for The Irish Post.

Statistics

Flat wins in Great Britain by year

Year Wins Runs 2007 0 8 2008 0 4 2009 0 2 2010 0 0 2011 0 1 2013 2 68 2014 5 92 2015 12 223 2016 38 572 2017 67 650 2018 38 556 2019 16 347 2020 26 390 2021 31 402 2022 40 359 2023 32 385 2024 29 308 2025 25 289

Jumps wins in Great Britain by year

Year Wins Runs 2007-08 35 408 2008-09 32 400 2009-10 38 308 2010-11 57 366 2011-12 42 377 2012-13 53 471 2013-14 32 431 2014-15 40 442 2015-16 11 93 2016-17 0 6 2016-17 0 6 2016-17 0 6 2016-17 0 6 2017-18 0 1 2019-20 0 4 2020-21 1 11 2021-22 0 2

Major wins Great Britain Flat Commonwealth Cup - Quiet Reflection (2016) Haydock Sprint Cup - Quiet Reflection (2016) Jumps Sefton Novices' Hurdle - Wayward Prince (2010) Triumph Hurdle - Countrywide Flame (2012)