Aidan Coleman Reflects on Early Retirement, Past Glory and Looks Ahead to the Cheltenham Festival

Former jockey Aidan Coleman has opened up to about his transition into retirement, reflecting on his illustrious 17-year career, the injury that forced his early departure from the sport, and his excitement for the upcoming Cheltenham Festival. 

Coleman, who was one of the most respected jump jockeys of his generation, admitted that stepping away from racing has been challenging. His retirement followed a serious knee injury sustained at Worcester, where he collided with an exposed rail at high speed. The injury led to multiple surgeries and extensive rehabilitation, ultimately preventing him from returning to competitive riding. While he anticipates needing a knee replacement in the future, he remains grateful for his recovery and ability to live pain-free in everyday life.  

 Recalled the harrowing leg injury, Coleman stated, “If there was a guy walking around with a chainsaw, I’d have paid him good money to cut it off”. 

 Reflecting on his career highlights, Coleman pinpointed his 2019 Cheltenham Festival victory aboard Paisley Park in the Stayers’ Hurdle as his most cherished moment. He also paid tribute to Put The Kettle On, the only mare to win both the Arkle and Champion Chase, noting that she never received the credit she deserved. 

 Now looking forward to Cheltenham from a different perspective, Coleman is excited for this year’s festival. He strongly backs Galopin Des Champs to make history and complete the unprecedented hat-trick of Gold Cup wins, describing him as "by far the best horse in the race." He also sees Fact to File as a standout contender in the Ryanair Chase and is torn between Brighterdaysahead and Constitution Hill in the Champion Hurdle.   

 Speaking on Galopin Des Champs’ attempt to make history, Coleman said: “I think he should be 1/10, I really do! You’re pretty much backing him to jump around, which isn’t always straight forward but if he does that, he’ll win.” 

Coleman states “it’s going to be a punters festival” but emphasises the importance of the track when looking to place bets “tracks are very important. Horses are all individuals and so are tracks. It’s easy to back good horses because they’re more consistent and they turn up more often than not, but tracks are important and that’s why I think Jonbon is beatable around Cheltenham. Whether he's beatable in this Champion Chase, probably not, because I can't see who’s good enough to beat him, to be honest. But in my strong opinion, he's not at his best around Cheltenham.” 

 Coleman believes that Cheltenham is the defying moment in the racing calendar and can make or break a jockey’s year: 

 “There are horses that miss Aintree, there are horses that miss the Dublin Racing Festival, but nobody misses Cheltenham. Unless you have one or two of the odd horses that blatantly do not like the track, it's just where everybody comes and everybody wants to win. The season is focused to Cheltenham, once you're there and you see the atmosphere and the prestige of it, you can actually see why, why it is the kind of Mecca and be all and end all of a season. You could have a very bad year and then have a Cheltenham Festival winner, then all of a sudden, it's a great year.” 

 While adjusting to life after racing, Coleman is now working with trainer Fergal O’Brien, which he sees as a new and fulfilling chapter. He acknowledges that he misses competing but is embracing his new role and enjoying the opportunity to analyse racing from a fresh viewpoint. 

Four-time Cheltenham Festival winner Aidan Coleman spoke with Racing TV on behalf of bet365 in the lead-up to the 2025 Cheltenham Festival. Racing fans can explore the latest bet365 Cheltenham betting odds and place their bets on Cheltenham Races by visiting the . They can also take advantage of bet365’s expert Cheltenham Festival tips and offers.