Mark Dwyer thriving in retirement and back in Dublin for 30th anniversary of Jodami's Irish Gold Cup hat-trick

Former top jockey Mark Dwyer plans to be back in Dublin on the 30th anniversary of steering Jodami to the third of his hat-trick of triumphs in the Irish Gold Cup, but he is not sure whether he will be at Leopardstown to witness Galopin Des Champs attempt a similar feat.  

Based in North Yorkshire since he quit the saddle in 1997, Dwyer may have other plans. He said: ‘I’ll be in Dublin on Saturday all right but I’m going over on a rugby trip for Ireland v England in the Six Nations. We’ll watch the race, but whether we’ll be at the track or not I’m not sure.”

Dwyer partnered more than 1,000 winners both home and aboard in the saddle when he was best known for his association with Peter Beaumont’s chaser who he also rode to Gold Cup glory in 1993.

Jodami and Mark Dwyer on their way to victory n the 1993 Gold Cup at CheltenhamCredit: Gerry Cranham

Before his career ended prematurely with injury at just the age of 32, Dwyer had wisely purchased Oaks Farm Stables near Malton in North Yorkshire where he now has a thriving pinhooking business.  

He said: “I was fortunate I was able to buy Oaks Farm in 1988 while I was still riding. It’s been going ever since and I learned everything I know from Willie Browne at Mocklershill in Ireland who has been a great mentor.

“We mainly pinhook in that we buy Flat foals and sell them as yearlings and also National Hunt foals to sell as three-year-olds. We also have breeze up horses."

He added: “We bought and sold Cheltenham winner Noland back in the day. On the Flat, we sold Captain Rio and also Sir Gerry who we sourced from America and who went on to win the Gimcrack for James Fanshawe. More recently, we breezed Society Rock who didn’t set the sales ring alight but made into a very good racehorse.”

Reflecting on Jodami’s three wins, he said: “All three were a bit different. The first time in 1993 he won by a head from a Martin Pipe horse Chatam and I never had to go for the whip. Two years later, he had to battle hard and, although I was never usually guilty of overuse of the whip, I got banned that day."

As for a prediction this year, he said: "I think Galopin Des Champs will win it as he’s so good around there."

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