{{short description|Irish jockey}} {{Use dmy dates|date=July 2025}} {{Infobox horseracing personality | name = Dougie Costello | native_name = | native_name_lang = | image = | caption = | occupation = Jockey | birth_date = March 1983 | birth_place = Galway | height = 5ft 9in | weight = 8st 11lb (lowest) | awards = Top Conditional at Wetherby racecourse & Top Jockey Magic Moment award | honours = | memorials = | horses = Countrywide Flame<br/>Quiet Reflection | url = {{URL|https://dougiecostello.wordpress.com/}} | module = }}
'''Dougie Costello''' (born March 1983) is an Irish jockey who is based in Britain. Since 2015, he has ridden mainly on the flat, having previously been a jump jockey. He is one of the few jockeys to have won at the top level in both codes, including the 2012 Triumph Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival on Countrywide Flame and the 2016 Commonwealth Cup on Quiet Reflection at Royal Ascot.
==Background==
Unlike many top jockeys, Costello does not have a family background in racing. He grew up as the only child of a single mother on a council estate in Galway and was introduced to riding by an uncle who went hunting.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.irishpost.com/sport/sports-autobiographies-of-2015-38557|title=Sports autobiographies of 2015|date=3 January 2015|work=Irish Post}}</ref> He moved to North Yorkshire to work first in the yard of trainer Mary Reveley and then for trainers Martin Todhunter and John Quinn. His first win on came on York Rite, trained by Richard Guest, in a conditional jockeys' handicap hurdle at Bangor-on-Dee on 1 August 2023.<ref name=Grand>{{cite web|url=https://www.irishracing.com/news/A-Z-factfile-for-Grand-National-runners/60140|title=A-Z factfile for Grand National runners|date=14 April 2012|work=Irish racing}}</ref>
==Career as a jockey==
Costello won his first Grade race in November 2006, when he rode Crow Wood to victory in the Grade 2 Elite Hurdle at Wincanton for Quinn. He won the same race the following year on Kings Quay, also trained by Quinn.<ref name=Stats>{{cite web|url=https://www.racingpost.com/profile/jockey/78238/dougie-costello/stats|title=Dougie Costello|access-date=26 July 2025|work=Racing Post}}</ref> He achieved his first Grade 1 success when Wayward Prince, trained by Ian Williams, won the Sefton Novices' Hurdle at Aintree in April 2010. Later that year, there was another notable Aintree victory, when Monet's Garden won the Old Roan Chase for trainer Nicky Richards.<ref name=Stats/> Countrywide Flame, trained by Quinn, provided Costello with a second Grade 1 success when winning the 2012 Triumph Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.rte.ie/sport/racing/2012/0316/312949-triumph_cheltenham_countrwideflame/|title=Flame burns brightly in Triumph|date=16 March 2012|work=RTÉ}}</ref> The following month he had his first ride in the Grand National, on Postmaster, trained by Tim Vaughn, who was pulled up at the 22nd fence.<ref name=Grand/><ref name=JC>{{cite web|url=https://www.thejockeyclub.co.uk/globalassets/racecourses/aintree/grand-national/media/rhgn-2020-media-pack.pdf|title=Grand National Weights Lunch Media Pack|date=2020|work=The Jockey Club}}</ref> He also rode in the Grand National in 2013, coming ninth on Saint Are, and in 2015, coming nineteenth on Dolatulo.<ref name=JC/>
Costello made the switch from National Hunt to riding on the flat in 2015.<ref name=Post>{{cite web|url=https://www.racingpost.com/news/britain/its-still-four-legs-and-a-tail-a-green-field-and-some-white-rail-its-just-some-fences-will-be-in-the-way-albD16K7J1z3/|title='It's still four legs and a tail, a green field and some white rail - it's just some fences will be in the way!'|date=24 December 2024|work=Racing Post}}</ref> In 2016 he rode as stable jockey to Middleham trainer Karl Burke, whose filly Quiet Reflection provided him with success in the Prix Sigy in April 2016, the Sandy Lane Stakes the following month, the Group 1 Commonwealth Cup at Royal Ascot and the Group 1 Haydock Sprint Cup in September.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.skysports.com/racing/news/25510/10238201/quiet-reflection-wins-at-chantilly|title=Quiet Reflection wins at Chantilly|date=10 April 2016|work=Sky Sports}}</ref><ref name=Stats/> Burke ended his partnership with Costello in May 2017, saying "things didn't quite pan out as I'd hoped".<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2017/may/08/dougie-costello-quiet-reflection-martin-harley-karl-burke-horse-racing |work=The Guardian |title=Dougie Costello splits from Quiet Reflection but hopes for fresh break |last=Cook |first=Chris |date=8 May 2017}}</ref> Since making the switch in codes, Costello still rides occasionally over jumps.<ref name=Post/>
==Personal life== Costello married solicitor Aimee Mercer at St Wilfrid's Church, York, in September 2010.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.yorkpress.co.uk/news/ryedale/8417801.badly-infected-leg-causes-jockey-dougie-honeymoon-agony/|title=Badly infected leg causes Jockey Dougie honeymoon agony|date=28 September 2010|work=The York Press}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.harrowells.co.uk/site/people/profile/aimee.costello|title=Aimee Costello|access-date=27 July 2025|work=Harrowells}}</ref> The couple have three children.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://dougiecostello.wordpress.com/about/|title=Family life|access-date=27 July 2025|work=Dougie Costello |date=6 August 2020 }}</ref> From 2013 to 2017, Costello wrote a racing column for The Irish Post.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.irishpost.com/author/dougie-costello|title=Articles by Dougie Costello|access-date=17 July 2025|work=The Irish Post}}</ref>
==Statistics==
'''Flat wins in Great Britain by year'''<ref name=Stats/>
{| class="wikitable" |- ! Year !! Wins !! Runs |- | 2007 || 0 || 8 |- | 2008 || 0 || 4 |- | 2009 || 0 || 2 |- | 2010 || 0 || 0 |- | 2011 || 0 || 1 |- | 2013 || 2 || 68 |- | 2014 || 5 || 92 |- | 2015 || 12 || 223 |- | 2016 || 38 || 572 |- | 2017 || 67 || 650 |- | 2018 || 38 || 556 |- | 2019 || 16 || 347 |- | 2020 || 26 || 390 |- | 2021 || 31 || 402 |- | 2022 || 40 || 359 |- | 2023 || 32 || 385 |- | 2024 || 29 || 308 |}
'''Jumps wins in Great Britain by year'''<ref name=Stats/>
{| class="wikitable" |- ! Year !! Wins !! Runs |- | 2007-08 || 35 || 408 |- | 2008-09 || 32 || 400 |- | 2009-10 || 38 || 308 |- | 2010-11 || 57 || 366 |- | 2011-12 || 42 || 377 |- | 2012-13 || 53 || 471 |- | 2013-14 || 32 || 431 |- | 2014-15 || 40 || 442 |- | 2015-16 || 11 || 93 |- | 2016-17 || 0 || 6 |- | 2016-17 || 0 || 6 |- | 2016-17 || 0 || 6 |- | 2016-17 || 0 || 6 |- | 2017-18 || 0 || 1 |- | 2019-20 || 0 || 4 |- | 2020-21 || 1 || 11 |- | 2021-22 || 0 || 2 |}
== Major wins == {{flagicon|Great Britain}} '''Great Britain''' '''Flat''' *Commonwealth Cup - ''Quiet Reflection (2016)'' *Haydock Sprint Cup - ''Quiet Reflection (2016)'' '''Jumps''' *Sefton Novices' Hurdle - ''Wayward Prince (2010)'' *Triumph Hurdle - ''Countrywide Flame (2012)''
== References == {{reflist}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Costello, Dougie}} Category:Irish jockeys Category:Living people Category:Equestrians from County Galway Category:1983 births