JOCKEY PROFILE

Date of Birth: August 11, 1987

County of origin: Limerick

First winner: Anonymity (Ger Lynch) Bellewstown, July 2, 2004

1,000th winner in Ireland: Starford (Joseph O'Brien) Roscommon, July 1, 2025

Champion Apprentice Jockey: 2005, 2006, 2007

Significant horses (Selected): Ezeliya, Tahiyra, Awtaad, Search For A Song, Voleuse De Coeurs, La Collina, Madhmoon, Orewa, Choose Me, Sole Power, Celtic Dane, Laws Of Spin, Stand To Attention, Ask Jack, Masta Plasta, Gordon Lord Byron, King Of Tory, Amourallis, I’ll Be Your Clown, Sir Ector, Dream Walker, Trevanna, Laws Of Spin, Castle Star, Swelter, Tarawa, Shamida, Sumiha, Layfayette, Aloha Star, Tarnawa, Laws Of Indices, First Cornerstone.

Did you know?

A first Group 1 success for Chris Hayes finally arrived when La Collina won the Coolmore Fusaichi Pegasus Matron Stakes at Leopardstown in September 2013 and seven days later he enjoyed his first Classic success when the Lady O'Reilly-owned Voleuse De Coeurs landed the Irish St Leger at the Curragh. Hayes landed a second Irish Classic when Awtaad, trained by Kevin Prendergast, won the Tattersalls Irish 2,000 Guineas at the Curragh on May 21st, 2016 and was again a big winner with Weld when Search For A Song won Irish St Leger at the Curragh in 2019. 

However, Chris’ biggest win came when he landed the Epsom Oaks on the Dermot Weld-trained Ezeliya on May 31, 2024. The 13/2 winner scored in the colours of HH Aga Khan. In September of the previous year, he had won the Group 1 Matron Stakes for the same connections on Tahiyra.

From Shanagolden, County Limerick, Chris is a graduate of the pony racing circuit and RACE. He joined Kevin Prendergast as an apprentice in 2004 and was champion apprentice in each of the next three years.  

Chris rode the longest-priced winner in the history of racing in Ireland or Britain when partnering the Luke Comer-trained He Knows No Fear to win an eight-furlong maiden at Leopardstown on August 13, 2020 at odds of 300/1. The previous record in Ireland was set by 200/1 winner Killahara Castle, trained by John Burke, at Thurles in 2017. 

Updated: Thursday, July 3, 2025