On June 3, 2022, the ‘Racing Post’ reported that Oisn Orr had been appointed stable jockey to Richard Fahey at Mews House in Musley Bank, Malton, Yorkshire, succeeding Paul Hanagan in that role. That season, he rode 41 winners on British soil, including Midnight Mile, trained by Fahey, in the Oh So Sharp Stakes at Newmarket and, in 2023, increased his seasonal tally to 64 winners, including several more high-profile victories. In 2024, so far, he has already ridden 46 winners, from 369 rides at a strike rate of 12%, and currently lies in ninth place in the Flat Jockeys’ Championship.
Originally from Rathmullan, Co. Donegal, Orr rode his first winner, Balmont Blast, trained by Edward Lynam, in an apprentice maiden race at Dundalk on January 23, 2015. He went on to become champion apprentice in his native land twice, in 2017, when he finished the season just one winner ahead of Killian Leonard, and in 2019, when he rode a double on the final day to share the apprentices’ title with Andrew Slattery. Orr reached the milestone of 95 career winners, thereby riding out his claim, on Anya Ylina, trained by Dermot Weld, in a fillies’ maiden at Gowran Park on the evening of May 29, 2019.
By that stage, Weld had already provided Orr with his first Listed and Group winner, Imaging in the Heritage Stakes at Leopardstown on Aoril 3, 2019 and the Group 3 Gladness Stakes at Naas ten days later. The following season, his first as a fully-fledged professional, Orr rode his first, and so far only, Group 1 winner, Search For A Song, trained by Weld, in the Irish St. Leger at the Curragh on September 13, 2020.
Twice named Donegal Sportstar of the Year, in 2020 and 2023, Orr has already spoken about how the switch to Britain has revitalised his career. Already with nine Group race victories to his name, at home and abroad, further success at the highest level on British soil is surely only a matter of time.
