Irish jockey Jack Kennedy has made a huge impact in National Hunt racing in recent years. Read about some of his key horses and victories in our career profile.
Expected to be a popular pick among this season’s Cheltenham Festival betting odds, Jack Kennedy is best known for riding some of Gordon Elliott’s premier horses. But what else is their to know about the Irish jockey?
An introduction to Jack Kennedy
Born in Dingle, Ireland, in 1999, Jack Kennedy rode his first winner at the age of 16 after graduating from the pony racing circuit. Since then, he has amassed more than 500 career victories and has earned millions of Euros from his success at the likes of Cheltenham Festival, Aintree, and many other prestigious courses. What’s more, he was named the Irish Champion jump jockey in the 2023-24 season.
His other most notable achievements include a Cheltenham Gold Cup win, an Irish Gold Cup win, and four victories in the Christmas Hurdle.
What is Jack Kennedy’s race record?
Across his career, at the time of writing, Kennedy has raced 4,070 horses, with 718 total wins and 957 places. This gives him an overall win-rate of 17.64%.
He has hit an even more impressive stride in recent years, with a 21% win-rate across Irish jump races over the last five National Hunt seasons. However, he has been slightly less fortunate in British races, winning 11 of his 92 rides in the same period for a success rate of 12%.
Kennedy specialises in hurdle races, with more than half of his rides across his career taking place on these courses. He has also proven to be a strong chaser, although his 1,195 steeplechases pale in comparison to his 2,783 hurdles.
Jack Kennedy’s best prospects for 2026
Jack Kennedy’s top prospect for the 2026 Cheltenham Festival is likely Teahupoo, who is the current favourite to retain his title and earn a second consecutive win in the Stayers’ Hurdle betting odds.
He’ll also be aiming to secure a second win in the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle betting, with El Cairos ranking among the favourites to claim a victory.
Kennedy could also be looking to become a two-time Gold Cup winner this year. While he’s not currently one of the favourites, Spillane’s Tower is a strong outsider pick in the Gold Cup odds, with the potential to cause an upset against the favourites, Inothewayurthinkin and Galopin Des Champs.
Key horses ridden by Jack Kennedy
Jack Kennedy has ridden some iconic horses across his career, with many claiming victories in some of the National Hunt calendar’s biggest events. Here’s an overview of some of his best-known horses:
Minella Indo
Arguably, Kennedy’s most legendary ride of his career was on Minella Indo, when the pair won the 2021 Cheltenham Gold Cup, beating previous winner A Plus Tard in the process. Ironically, Minella Indo’s primary jockey for much of his career was Rachael Blackmore, who was riding A Plus Tard in this event!
Apple’s Jade
With 15 wins in 28 races across her career, Apple’s Jade was one of the most successful mares of the late 2010s, and Kennedy led her to several of her most significant victories.
The pairing was powerful on the Irish racing circuit, winning consecutive Hatton’s Grace Hurdle races in 2017 and 2018, as well as consecutive Christmas Hurdles in 2018 and 2019. Perhaps their most iconic win, though, was the 2019 Irish Champion Hurdle at Leopardstown.
Teahupoo
The Gordon Elliott-trained Teahupoo has become one of Jack Kennedy’s most reliable winners in recent years. He found success at the Cheltenham Festival in 2024 by winning the Stayers’ Hurdle, and he won the Irish version of the event at Punchestown in the same year.
Teahupoo is one of the favourites in the 2026 Cheltenham Festival betting odds, having won 14 of his 21 career races as of January 2026. He holds victories over other popular hurdlers, such as Bob Olinger in the 2025 Christmas Hurdle, and he has won three Hatton’s Grace Hurdles for Kennedy.
Labaik
Labaik was a successful hurdler for Jack Kennedy, who led him to victory in the 2017 Supreme Novices’ Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival. The win was particularly notable, as Labaik started as a 25/1 outsider, eventually finishing 2 lengths ahead of the odds-on favourite, Melon.
Unfortunately, Labaik’s career was cut short by an injury just a few months later, and his trainer, Gordon Elliott, said he expected him never to race again.
Delta Work
Jack Kennedy earned another victory in the Cotswolds when Delta Work won the Glenfarclas Cross Country Chase in 2022. His victory came against Tiger Roll, who is one of the most successful horses in the history of the Cheltenham Festival.
Outside of the Cheltenham Festival, Delta Work earned an Irish Gold Cup win at Leopardstown in 2020, giving Kennedy his first victory at the event.
Robin Des Mana
Robin Des Mana gave Jack Kennedy one of his earliest notable wins when the pair won at the Clonmel Racecourse in 2017. The victory made news for Kennedy’s incredible recovery, where he held on after falling out of his saddle, bouncing off a rail to stabilise himself.
Which trainer does Jack Kennedy work with?
Jack Kennedy is known for working with fellow Irishman Gordon Elliott, who has trained many of his most popular horses. Minella Indo, Teahupoo, and Delta Work are just a few of the significant successes from Elliott’s stables to have given Kennedy wins in his career.
What are Jack Kennedy’s major performances?
As the Irish Champion jump jockey in 2023-24, Jack Kennedy has secured many high-profile victories across the course of his career, becoming a must-watch rider in recent seasons. Here are some of his most noteworthy wins to date:
Cheltenham Festival
Jack Kennedy’s biggest win in the Cotswolds is undoubtedly his victory in the 2021 Cheltenham Gold Cup, when Minella Indo beat the favourite, A Plus Tard, by one-and-a-quarter lengths.
His other notable victories at the Festival include a 2017 Supreme Novices’ Hurdle win on Labaik, a 2022 Glenfarclas Cross Country Chase win on Delta Work, and a 2024 Stayers’ Hurdle win on Teahupoo.
Here are all Kennedy’s Cheltenham wins to date:
Year | Race | Horse |
2024 | Stayers’ Hurdle | Teahupoo |
2022 | Glenfarclas Cross Country Chase | Delta Work |
2021 | National Hunt Chase Challenge Cup | Galvin |
2021 | Cheltenham Gold Cup | Minella Indo |
2021 | Mares’ Hurdle | Black Tears |
2021 | Fulke Walwyn Kim Muir Challenge Cup | Mount Ida |
2018 | Triumph Hurdle | Farclas |
2018 | Golden Miller Novices’ Chase | Shattered Love |
2018 | Baring Bingham Novices’ Hurdle | Samcro |
2018 | Fred Winter Juvenile Handicap Hurdle | Veneer of Charm |
2017 | Supreme Novices’ Hurdle | Labaik |
Other events
Kennedy has also found major success when racing in his native Ireland. He won the 2020 Irish Gold Cup with Delta Work and has been a mainstay of many prestigious hurdle races. He is the leading jockey in both the Hatton’s Grace Hurdle (5 wins) and Christmas Hurdle (4 wins).
How to bet on Jack Kennedy this season?
Looking to stay updated on Jack Kennedy’s upcoming races? Head to our horse racing sportsbook page to find all the biggest events in the National Hunt calendar, and keep an eye out for Kennedy’s horses on the field. For first-time bettors, you can also read our guide on how to bet on horse racing for a refresher on the rules and strategies.
