Apprenticeship: Four years with Jim Bolger – rode work on horses such as Irish Derby winner St Jovite and Oaks winner Jet Ski Lady.

First winner: Legal Steps at Thurles on March 26, 1992.

oined Toby Balding at start of 1994/5 season after riding 13 winners (six on the Flat) in Ireland.

First winner in Britain: Chickabiddy at Exeter on September 7, 1994.

Champion conditional jockey: 1994/5 with 74 winners – at the time a record for the number of wins by a conditional jockey (he finished 7th in the full jockeys’ championship).

Lost right to claim: Won on Romany Creek at Nottingham on February 28, 1995.

Champion jockey: 1995/6, 1996/7, 1997/8, 1998/9, 1999/2000, 2000/1, 2001/2, 2002/3.

Best season: 289 winners in 2001/2 (a British jumps record).

1,000th winner: Majadou, Cheltenham, December 11, 1999.

1,500th winner: Celtic Native, Exeter, December, 2001.

Seasonal totals of winners:

1994/5 74; 1995/6 175; 1996/7 189; 1997/8 253; 1998/9 186; 1999/2000 245; 2000/1 191; 2001/2 289; 2002/3 68.

100th winner of 1996/7: Class of Ninetytwo at Warwick on November 21, beating Peter Scudamore’s record by 30 days.

100th winner of 1997/8: Sam Rockett at Newton Abbot on November 5, beating his own record by 16 days.

100th winner of 2001/2: Present Bleu at Plumpton on September 17, beating his own record by seven weeks.

150th winner of 1997/8: Jymjam Johnny at Bangor-On-Dee on December 17, beating Peter Scudamore’s record by 51 days.

150th winner of 2001/2: Tarxien at Cheltenham on November 18, beating his own record by 29 days.

200th winner of 1997/8: Fataliste at Kempton on February 28, beating Peter Scudamore’s record by 58 days.

200th winner of 1999/2000: Mr Cool at Sandown on February 18, beating his own record by 10 days and becoming the first British jump jockey to make it to 200 twice.

200th winner of 2001/2: Native Man at Huntingdon on January 11 beating his own record by 38 days.

222nd winner of 1997/8: Petite Risk at Ludlow on March 25, 1998.

250th winner of 1997/8: Stage Fright at Perth on May 14, 1998.

250th winner of 2001/2: Going Global at Plumpton on February 25, 2002.

254th winner of 2001/2 (new record): Firetree at Huntingdon on March 2, 2002.

Beat Sir Gordon Richards’ record of 269 winners in a season on Valfonic at Warwick on April 2 2002 and he ended the campaign on 289.

Became second-most winning jump jockey when beating Peter Scudamore’s total of 1,678 on Polar Champ at Newton Abbot on July 28.

Became winning-most British jump jockey when beating Richard Dunwoody’s total of 1,699 on Mighty Montefalco at Uttoxeter on August 27, 2002.

Champion Hurdle winner: Make A Stand 1997.

Cheltenham Gold Cup winner: Mr Mulligan 1997.

Equalled the record with five winners at the 1998 Cheltenham Festival.

Other big winners: Blowing Wind (Imperial Cup & County Hurdle 1998), Champleve (Arkle Chase 1998), Chicuelo (Tote Scoop6 Summer Plate Handicap Chase), Cyfor Malta (Cathcart Chase, John Hughes Trophy & Murphy’s Gold Cup 1998, Pillar Property Chase 1999), Deano’s Beeno (EDS Long Distance Hurdle 2000), Edredon Bleu (Grand Annual Chase 1998, Queen Mother Champion Chase 2000, ladbrokescasino.com Championship Chase 2001), Eudipe (Anthony Mildmay, Peter Cazalet Memorial Handicap Chase 1999), Galant Moss (Mitie Group Novices’ Chase 2000), Hors La Loi III (Citroen Supreme Novices’ Hurdle 1999), Iznogoud (Gerard Tolworth Hurdle 2001), Kibreet (Grand Annual Handicap Chase 1996), Lady Cricket (Thomas Pink Gold Cup 2000), Legal Right (Tommy Whittle Chase 2001), Majadou (Mildmay of Flete Chase 1999), Master Beveled (Agfa Hurdle 1998), Northern Starlight (Tripleprint Gold Cup 1998, John Hughes Chase 2000), Polar Red (Imperial Cup 2002), Pridwell (Martell Hurdle 1998), Rainwatch (Finale Juvenile Hurdle 1997), Rodock (Murphy’s Draughtflow Hurdle 1999), Royal Auclair (Cathcart Challenge Cup 2002), See More Business (Crowngap Winter Novices’ Hurdle 1995, Rising Stars Novices’ Chase 1996), Shaunies Lady (Murphys Irish Stout Four-Year-Old Hurdle 1996), Shooting Light (Thomas Pink Gold Cup & Tote Silver Cup 2001), Southampton (Daily Telegraph Novices’ Handicap Chase 1996), Upgrade (First National Gold Cup 2000), Viking Flagship (Melling Chase 1996), Unsinkable Boxer (Gold Card Hurdle Final & Belle Epoque Novices’ Hurdle 1998), Warm Spell (Bic Razor Lanzarote Hurdle 1996), Westender (Rehabilitation Of Racehorses Hurdle 2001), Zabadi (Glenlivet Anniversary Hurdle 1996).

Other information: Rode a 77-1 five-timer at Uttoxeter May 26, 1997; rode a 120-1 five-timer at Newton Abbot August 4, 1997; rode a five-timer at Haydock 8, 2000; rode five winners at Worcester/Newton Abbot July 1, 2000; rode a five-timer at Warwick on February 17, 2001; rode a 127-1 five-timer at Ascot on December 22, 2001; rode a 159-1 five-imer at Market Rasen on July 20, 2002.

Banned for 14 days for overuse of the whip under the “totting-up” procedure in November, 1998.