Jerry McGrath mixing riding career with talent spotting for sheikhs

Jump jockey Jerry McGrath swapped the saddle for the sales ring on Wednesday when the Cheltenham Festival-winning rider secured Returnofthemac for Sheikh Sultan with a bid of 60,000gns.

McGrath's Tattersalls August Sale purchase, a son of Swiss Spirit, is now set to continue his career in Bahrain, with the rider-turned-agent saying: "He's a nice horse with very good current form.

"He comes from a good trainer and Sheikh Sultan already has horses in training with David O'Meara so he'd recommended the horse very highly. He's a good solid horse and has exactly the right kind of profile to do well in Bahrain."

McGrath, who has enjoyed success aboard the likes of Beware The Bear, Santini and Verdana Blue for boss Nicky Henderson, went on to explain how a National Hunt jockey came to link up with Sheikh Sultan, whose colours were carried to success by Golden Horde in this year's Commonwealth Cup.

Returnofthemac in the Tattersalls ringCredit: Laura Green

"I've ridden out for Clive Cox for the last three summers and Sheikh Sultan has a good few horses in training there," said McGrath. "Although he lives in Bahrain, he spends a lot of time in England, particularly in Lambourn.

"He really enjoys seeing the horses in the morning at Clive's and that's how I was introduced to him. He knows I buy a few horses alongside being a jump jockey so that's how it came together."

Over the three August Sale sessions McGrath's name appeared on the docket of eight lots, including the 77,000gns Bond's Boy who was secured from Richard Fahey's Musley Bank Stables.

"He's another one who's going to Bahrain for the same owner," McGrath said of the three-year-old son of Monsieur Bond. "He's a big imposing horse and looks tailor-made for the racing over there. Like the other horse, he ticked all the right boxes. He might just progress a bit more out there."

McGrath wasn't buying exclusively from the top end of the market, as he also went to 2,500gns for Gazwah, an unraced three-year-old, in partnership with Stuart Crawford.

"She'll probably go down the bumper route," he said. "She's by Zoffany and I've ridden a few of those and they jump well and she's out of a New Approach mare, so hopefully she'll prove a bit of fun.

"We bought three on Monday, drew a blank on Tuesday and then worked hard today so it's been a good week."

McGrath has been a regular at National Hunt sales in recent years having gained experience alongside the Highflyer Bloodstock team, and has a long-running interest in the bloodstock side of the industry stemming from his family background in farming.

"I've always had a great interest in the bloodstock side of things," he said. "I have a few broodmares and some National Hunt youngstock too, so it's a good sideline to have and can't do the riding career any harm.

"I do a lot of work with Highflyer Bloodstock, particularly around the store horse sales. Anthony Bromley and David Minton have been very good to me, especially David, who's a great mentor."

Jerry McGrath and Beware The Bear win the Ultima Handicap Chase at the 2019 Cheltenham FestivalCredit: Alan Crowhurst

Bond's Boy and Returnofthemac are not the first notable purchases McGrath has been involved with of late, having recently spent two days at Seven Barrows following the action at the Goffs Land Rover Sale via the internet.

"For this year's Land Rover Sale myself, David and Nicky Henderson sat down at the kitchen table in Seven Barrows and were buying online and over the phone, which was very interesting," says McGrath.

"We bought ten stores over the two days and it'll be interesting to look back in a few years and see how those horses turned out. Normally we would've inspected every single horse in the sale but it was a bit different this time around!"

Although harbouring ambitions to grow his involvement within the bloodstock industry, McGrath said his riding career remains his main focus for the foreseeable future.

"I was riding at Cartmel on Sunday, rode out one lot at Clive's on Monday morning and then came straight up to Tattersalls," he said. "I'm still riding and that's very much the number one priority at the moment – I'm at Fontwell on Friday so I'll be back to reality then!"

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