Cork jockey Aidan Coleman announces his retirement from the saddle due to injury

A week on from Wayne Lordan's first winner back after injury, another well known Innishannon jockey recovering from serious injury - Aidan Coleman has announced his retirement from the saddle. 

He broke the news this morning on Racing TV, on their marquee Sunday morning programme "Luck on Sunday''. 

Following consultation with the BHA's Chief Medical Adviser and his own surgeon, the consensus on his chances of improving were deemed to be negative. 

Coleman told Luck "I won't stand the demands of being a jockey or get anywhere near it."

The Cheltenham Festival-winning jockey was badly injured at Worcester last June when his mount Ascension Day crashed through the wing of a hurdle. 

The 40/1 outsider had been making his rules debut that evening having run three times here in Irish point-to points, for Paul Hennessy.

He held a two length advantage when he ran out at the final hurdle. 

Coleman was immediately attended to by the medical team after colliding with the plastic rail in the process suffering a horrific fall. 

At the time Coleman's surgeon said it was one of the worst knee injuries that he'd ever seen. 

They had to take out most of the bone and replaced it with bone graft. He also did all the ligaments, to further complicate the situation.

Coleman had been into his seventeenth year competing in Britain last season, when disaster struck at Worcester in that Appliance Solutions Of Ledbury Maiden Hurdle, in the penultimate race on that fateful night in June last year. 

He moved over from Cork to work for Henrietta Knight in 2006, her association with the great Best Mate will long linger in the memory. 

His first ride for Henrietta was at Hereford on December 23rd 2006. 

Aidan partnered Silverbar who finished ninth.

His first victory came in October 2007 aboard Tashkandi at Uttoxeter for trainer Sarah Humphrey. 

Aidan made all the running to land the Alton Towers Halloween Selling Hurdle. 

It was an early indication of him being a really good judge of pace.

He switched to being retained jockey with Venetia Williams, and it produced an instant dividend as he was crowned champion conditional jockey championship with 55 winners in 2008/9.

In April of that season he rode in his first Grand National, onboard Mon Mome at the age of nineteen. 

He was one of the youngest riders ever to ride in the Aintree spectacle. 

The following year, he opted not to ride Mon Mome in the National. In a twist of fate it was the late Liam Treadwell who prospered as he steered Mon Mome to Aintree glory.

His first Grade One victory arrived courtesy of Emma Lavelle's iconic staying hurdler Paisley Park. 

Coincidentally, the veteran hurdler also recently retired, after running at this year's Cheltenham festival.

They teamed up to win the 2018 Long Walk Hurdle.Aidan also struck up a terrific partnership with Henry de Bromhead's brilliant mare Put The Kettle On. 

They landed the 2021 Champion Chase at Cheltenham, having also partnered the mare to victory in the Arkle Chase in 2020.

He also established a terrific relationship with Nicky Henderson's Jonbon on whom he recorded nine victories.

Four of those wins on the Dromahane point to point winner were in Grade One contests. 

My best memory of Coleman was on Jonbon, edging El Fabiolo in a terrific finish to the novice hurdle at Aintree in 2022. 

It was vintage Coleman in a race for the ages. He also enjoyed memorable success for Henderson and JP McManus with the brilliant mare Epatante. 

They joined forces to land the Fighting Fifth and Aintree Hurdle in the 2021/22 season.

Aidan lives in Tewkesbury in Gloucestershire these days. His brother is the Irish National Hunt jockey, Kevin Coleman, who won the 2007 Galway Plate on Liam Burke’s seven year old Sir Frederick. 

Coleman partnered 1,251 winners in Britain and Ireland during his career. 

Undoubtedly his best season came in 2015/16 when he steered home 129 winners.