CHELTENHAM Gold Cup-winning jockey Bryan Cooper has made the surprise announcement that he will retire from race riding with immediate effect at the age of 30.

Cooper, one of the most talented riders in the Irish weighing room, revealed the decision in a statement on Friday afternoon, having not taken any rides since the weekend before the Cheltenham Festival. He exits the saddle with an impressive haul of 36 Grade 1 winners, with his most recent top-level victories coming in 2020 aboard Latest Exhibition at the Dublin Racing Festival and Franco De Port at the Leopardstown Christmas Festival. Those successes marked his first Grade 1 wins since 2017.

Injury had been cited as the reason for the Tralee, Co Kerry rider missing three intended mounts on day two of the Cheltenham Festival, and he did not contest any other races at the marquee meeting.

Cooper said: “After much careful thought and consideration for some time, I am officially announcing my retirement from race riding with immediate effect. I’ve been lucky to have had a wonderful career over the past 14 years as a jockey.

“To my family, the owners, trainers and stable staff who have supported me throughout my whole career, I can’t thank you enough for some incredible days. It is time for me to move on to the next chapter in my life, and I’m looking forward to seeing what the future holds for me.”

The 2010/’11 champion conditional marked himself out as a rider with a real knack for excelling on the biggest of stages when recording a sensational treble at the 2013 Cheltenham Festival through wins on Our Conor (Triumph Hurdle), trained by his late mentor Dessie Hughes, and the Tony Martin-trained Benefficient (Jewson Novices’ Chase) and Ted Veale (County Hurdle).

Arguably best remembered for his association with 2016 Cheltenham Gold Cup winner Don Cossack, Cooper held the role of first jockey to Gigginstown House Stud from January 2014 to July 2017 and amassed an array of big-race wins in the maroon and white silks, including major Cheltenham Festival victories on Apple’s Jade and Don Poli.

However, during his Gigginstown role, he suffered a brutal leg break at the 2014 Cheltenham Festival in a fall from Clarcam in the Fred Winter Juvenile Handicap Hurdle, spending seven months on the sidelines after undergoing operations spanning four and nine hours. He also missed further action in separate incidents that saw him endure a collapsed lung and liver laceration, break his arm and fracture his pelvis.

After his Gigginstown stint, the son of Cheltenham Festival-winning trainer Tom Cooper was appointed as first-choice rider for Alan Potts in October 2017, but a month later the leading owner died unexpectedly at the age of 80.

Cooper has spoken candidly in recent years about arguably not adapting the right attitude to the adversity faced when losing his role with Gigginstown, admitting to not fully appreciating the plum positions he had earned.

He looked to have established a strong link-up in recent seasons when teaming up with trainer Paul Nolan, recording Dublin Racing Festival winners with Quamino and Latest Exhibition, as well as a Cheltenham Festival success through Mrs Milner in the 2021 Pertemps Final.

However, Cooper did not ride for the Wexford handler this season and notched the bulk of his winners for Noel Meade.

Having ridden a career-best total of 94 winners domestically in 2015/’16, Cooper’s last five seasons yielded hauls of 18, 11, 22, 41 and 26 winners.

His final winner came aboard the Dermot McLoughlin-trained Wa Wa at Leopardstown this month - his 511th victory on home soil, according to Horse Racing Ireland.