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Breeders' Cup Bios
Search the Breeders' Cup biography database for complete bio listings of participants and horses that are on the road to the Cup. Biographical information is updated regularly, statistical information is updated daily.

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Dermot Weld
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  • Born: July 29, 1948
  • Residence: Rosewell House, The Curragh, County Kildare, Ireland
  • Family: wife, Mary; and two sons, Mark and Kris
  • Racing Background: Son of trainer Charlie Weld. ... Weld, who studied at University College, Dublin, was champion amateur rider under National Hunt rules in Ireland in 1969, 1971 and 1972. He rode his first winner at age 15 and collected wins in Ireland, England, France, United States and South Africa. ... Because of his wins around the world, he was subject of an Irish documentary titled "Flying the Flag". ... Has his own Facebook page
  • Racing Career: Since he first took out a license to train in 1972, he has consistently been one of the top Irish trainers with eight titles to his credit ... His 136 winners in 1985 remains an Irish record. In 2000, he finished third (although first by number of winners) in the championship with 84 victories from 562 starts and 63 individual horses, collecting IR£984,497 in win and place prize money ... He is a qualified veterinarian and was a track vet at Belmont Park in the early 1970s. It was at that time that he formed a desire to win the Belmont Stakes, which he achieved in 1990 with Go And Go ... Has had 12 previous Breeders' Cup starters, his best showing being Brief Truce, third in the 1992 Mile ... Has won all five Irish classics, the first in 1981 with Blue Wind in the Irish Oaks. ... Has won the Irish Derby twice, with Zagreb (1996) and Grey Swallow (2004) ... He remains the only Northern Hemisphere trainer to have won the Melbourne Cup (Vintage Crop in 1993 and Media Puzzle in 2002) and he also was the first European-based trainer to win a race in Hong Kong, landing the 1991 Invitation Bowl (now the G1 Hong Kong Mile) with Additional Risk ... In Aug. 2000, he became the winningest Irish trainer of all time when he surpassed Senator Jim Parkinson's record of 2,577 victories ... He now lists becoming the first overseas trainer to lift the Kentucky Derby as one of his biggest ambitions, along with winning a race on the only continent he has yet to conquer – Africa ... When Churchill Downs and Kempton Park partnered to create the Kentucky Derby Challenge Stakes over Kempton's Polytrack surface, guaranteeing a spot for the winner in the Kentucky Derby, Weld called it a "great initiative" and expressed a desire to have the right horse to compete in it. ... Unfortunately, Churchill announced in Oct. 2009 that they were ending the Challenge Stakes after one year ... In 2004, trained Vinnie Roe to win the Irish St Leger for the fourth consecutive year – the only time that feat has ever been achieved by a single horse in a European Group 1 race ... Saddled Dimitrova to win both the G1 American Oaks and the G1 Flower Bowl Invitational in 2003 ... Scored his 3,000th career win Feb. 17, 2005 at Nad al Sheba Racecourse in the U.A.E. with King Jock... Arlington Park is a favorite track for Weld to send his international raiders, having won the G2 American Derby there three times. ... His most recent big win in the USA came when Winchester landed the G1 Secretariat Stakes at Arlington in Aug. 2008 ... Back at home, another top level triumph came when Casual Conquest lifted the 2009 Tattersalls Gold Cup. ... Brings Juddmonte homebred Famous Name (GB), a G1-placed G3 winner to the ’09 Breeders' Cup Mile. ...
  • Breeding/Racing Operation: Trained 134 horses at the start of 2009 at his Rosewell House yard at The Curragh, County Kildare, where he is assisted by his son, Mark, who also is an accomplished singer ... Through Oct. 18, 2009, he was in third place in the 2009 Irish trainers' championship with 66 wins from 483 runners and just under $2.5 million in prize money.

Breeders' Cup Record
Starts1st2nd3rdEarnings
12001$145,000

1985TurfTheatrical (Ire)11th
1989JuvenileGo and Go (Ire)8th
1990ClassicGo and Go (Ire)dnf
1992MileBrief Truce3rd
1995SprintCommitted7th
1997TurfDance Design (Ire)11th
2000ClassicPine Dance9th
2002MileDress to Thrill (Ire)8th
2003Filly & Mare TurfDimitrova12th
 JuvenileRelaxed Gesture (Ire)8th
 MileRefuse to Bend (Ire)11th
2007Juvenile TurfDomestic Fund (Ire)5th
2008TurfWinchester7th

Related Links
NOTE: Bio stats include North American and selected international races. Click here to view selected international race list. Biographies on jockeys, trainers and owners are from the Breeders' Cup World Championships events from 2001 through 2009, and are intended as informational resources. Biographies will be updated if an individual is again a participant in the Breeders' Cup World Championships. Biographies are available for most horses appearing in the top 100 money earnings list, and/or for those who are frequently making headlines in the news starting with the 2006 Triple Crown season.
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