Ryan Moore acknowledges the Sandown crowd aboard Constitution River

Ryan Moore - joining the British Racing Hall Of Fame

Ryan Moore and Shergar join British Racing Hall of Fame

Horse Racing

Mon October 05, 2026 · 2h ago

Ryan Moore and Shergar are the latest inductees into the British Racing Hall of Fame.

Their inductions will be formally marked with a presentation moment at Ascot on Qatar Racing British Champions Day, Saturday 17th October.

Moore’s career achievements mark him out as one of the best riders in the history of horseracing in a stellar career spanning 26 years and counting.

Initially starting out as a jumps jockey, Moore was successful on his first ever ride under rules, as Mersey Beat – trained by his father Gary - won a handicap hurdle at Towcester. Over 3,400 winners later, the 43-year-old has established a global reputation as a world-class horseman, with the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe, Japan Cup, Tenno Sho, Hong Kong Cup, Melbourne Cup and numerous Breeders’ Cup contests all on his glittering CV.

Moore won the British Champion Apprentice title in 2003 and went on to be crowned Champion Jockey on three occasions from 2006 to 2009. He has won 18 British Classics, ridden 99 Royal Ascot winners, and been named Longines World’s Best Jockey four times. His astonishing tally of over 230 Group/Grade 1 winners started with Notnowcato in 2006 and has been added to every year since, most recently with True Love in the Prix de la Forêt at Longchamp on Sunday 4th October.

Ryan Moore on True Love at ParisLongchamp

Moore said: "I'm honoured to be inducted into the British Racing Hall of Fame. I've been fortunate to work with some brilliant people throughout my career. My family’s support was so important when I was starting out, and Richard Hannon showed lots of faith in me in the early days as well. I’m also particularly grateful to Sir Michael Stoute and Aidan O'Brien for the opportunities they've given me over the years. It means a lot to be recognised alongside them and others who have achieved so much in the sport."

He becomes the 14th person to be inducted into the Hall of Fame after Lester Piggott, Vincent O’Brien, Pat Eddery, Queen Elizabeth II, Frankie Dettori, Willie Carson, Sir Henry Cecil, Sir Michael Stoute, Prince Khalid Abdullah, Steve Cauthen, Aidan O’Brien, Jack Berry and Major Dick Hern.

Shergar remains a household name almost half a century after his remarkable exploits on the track and it’s those breathtaking performances that see him inducted into the British Racing Hall of Fame this year.

Foaled in 1978 at the Aga Khan IV’s private studs in Ireland, Shergar was part of the second crop of yearlings sent to Michael Stoute in 1979 after the powerful owner-breeder decided to resume his interests in British racing. He did not debut on the racetrack until September 1980 but made an instant impact once he did, winning at Newbury before finishing second in the Futurity Stakes at Doncaster the following month.

It was his three-year-old season that would leave a lasting impression on the world of racing, though. Following a ten-length success in Sandown’s Classic Trial then a 12-length victory in the Chester Vase, Shergar was sent off the odds-on favourite for the 1981 Derby at Epsom. His winning distance of ten lengths remains a record to this day and could even have been more had jockey Walter Swinburn not eased off his mount in the closing stages.

Shergar wins the Derby

The Irish Derby at The Curragh was next for Shergar and this time Lester Piggott was in the plate for another steering job, an eased-down four-length win, with Piggott commenting that he was one of the best horses he had ever ridden. The last victory of Shergar’s career came at Ascot in the King George VI & Queen Elizabeth Stakes where he and Swinburn overcame trouble in-running to put four lengths between themselves and the rest of the field in the blink of an eye.

Following a below-par run in the St Leger Stakes at Doncaster, Shergar was retired and sent to stud in Ireland. He only managed one breeding season, in 1982, as on 8th February of the following year he was kidnapped and never seen again. Whilst he may have subsequently joined public folklore for his disappearance rather than for his amazing performances on the track, the Aga Khan IV’s colt was a generational talent whose exploits seemed scarcely believable to anyone privileged enough to witness him in action.

He becomes the 14th horse to be inducted into the Hall of Fame after Frankel, Brigadier Gerard, Nijinsky, Mill Reef, Dayjur, Dancing Brave, Galileo, Sea The Stars, Stradivarius, Pebbles, Dubai Millennium, Goldikova and Enable.

Sophie Able, Co-Chair of the British Racing Hall of Fame Panel, said: “It was the unanimous decision of the panel that Shergar and Ryan Moore are both truly deserving inductees to the British Racing Hall of Fame. Shergar remains one of the most celebrated and iconic horses in British racing history, while Ryan’s outstanding career and achievements in the saddle have established him as one of the great jockeys of his generation. We look forward to welcoming those connected with both to Ascot on Qatar Racing British Champions Day and celebrating their remarkable contributions to British racing."

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