Dane O'Neill

Group 1-winning jockey Dane O'Neill has announced his retirement from the saddle. The 48-year-old's decision has been hastened by injuries sustained in a race fall last July at Wolverhampton, from which he has still not fully recovered.  During a career spanning three decades, O'Neill took his first rides in 1992, working for Richard Hannon Sr and later as stable jockey for Henry Candy. In 2012 he was appointed second jockey to Sheikh Hamdan Al Maktoum's Shadwell operation.  In Sheikh Hamdan's colours he won the inaugural Commonwealth Cup on Muhaarar (GB),...

Jockey Dane O'Neill, who was unseated from his mount in a Wolverhampton handicap on Tuesday, will undergo surgery for a fractured vertebrae and ribs but is expected to make a full recovery, O'Neill's wife Laura revealed on Facebook. O'Neill was aboard Eagle Eyed Tom (GB) (Gleneagles {Ire}) when that horse stumbled leaving the gate and appeared to clip heels before dislodging his rider, who was hospitalised following the voided race. "Following his fall at Wolverhampton, Dane was treated on the track before being transported by the racecourse ambulance to Queen...

Jockey Dane O'Neill has been taken to hospital for further assessment and Tuesday's first race at Wolverhampton was voided after the Charlie Hills-trained Eagle Eyed Tom (GB) (Gleneagles {Ire}) stumbled at the break and appeared to clip heels, tossing the rider to the course. O'Neill was attended to on the track and there was an 11-minute delay as O'Neill was taken off on a stretcher. "Dane sustained a fall after leaving the stalls in the first race, which was then voided," Fergus Cameron, clerk of the course at Wolverhampton, said....

Under a cagey Dane O'Neill ride, Danyah (Ire) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}) stunned a field loaded with quality sprinters to take the $1.5-million G1 Al Quoz Sprint Sponsored by AZIZI Developments for Shadwell and trainer Musabbeh Al Mheiri. One of 16 entered in the 1200-metre turf feature, the 6-year-old gelding laid off the leaders as Miqyaas (GB) (Oasis Dream {GB}) set the pace while shadowed by Group 3 winner The Astrologist (Aus) (Zoustar {Aus}). At the halfway point, it appeared that half of the field was in with a shot as...

Dismissed at rough odds with a sea of blue for Godolphin signed on for Saturday's $350,000 G1 Jebel Hatta Sponsored by emirates.com, defending champion Alfareeq (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}) raced prominently throughout and--unlike many of his chief rivals--enjoyed a clean passage, then ran down pacesetting El Drama (Ire) (Lope de Vega {Ire}) to cause the upset and win by a neck. The 6-year-old hit the ground running and was forwardly placed and out of trouble through the early stages. When El Drama crossed all the way down to the inside...