O’Brien leads tributes as Murtagh quits the saddle

Aidan O’Brien and Frankie Dettori were among those to pay tribute to Johnny Murtagh after the multiple Group One-winning jockey announced his retirement from the saddle yesterday to concentrate on his training career.

Murtagh, 43, is widely regarded as one of the greatest riders of the modern era and partnered over 100 top-level winners at home and abroad during a stellar career.

In May of last year Murtagh took out his training licence, taking over the reins from Tommy Carmody at Fox Covert Stables in County Kildare.