Born on 14 January, 1967, Alan Munro grew up in Hertfordshire and - after seeing a piece about Steve Cauthen on John Craven’s Newsround - decided he wanted to be a jockey and left school aged 16.
He rode his first winner for trainer Barry Hills on Sentimental Roses at Yarmouth in August, 1985, and joined Mel Brittain’s North Yorkshire stable the following year while spending winters riding in America.
He moved on to ride for Bill O’Gorman, winning the 1990 Coventry Stakes on Macs Imp and was appointed retained rider to owner Prince Fahd Salman in the spring of 1991. A superb first season included three top-class victories on the Paul Cole-trained Generous, who triumphed in the Epsom Derby before going on to annex the Irish equivalent and the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Ascot. an>
In the mid 1990s he headed to the Far East, riding in Japan and Hong Kong before in 2000 deciding he wanted to take a break from horses. He took up karate and is now a black belt in the sport but decided it was time for a return to racing, explaining “No-one calls and you lose your identity - you have to readjust to being just a small person in the world and it's really hard.''
He returned to Britain in 2005 and, riding mainly for Rod Millman, had 60 successes including victories in the Northumberland Plate, totesport Ebor and totesport Cesarewitch on Sergeant Cecil. He also rode for Jeremy Noseda and enjoyed significant success on Araafa, who took the Irish 2,000 Guineas and St James’s Palace Stakes in 2006.
Unfortunately, a spell on the sidelines followed and Munro was out of action for 18 months after a blackout induced by low blood pressure on a flight to Deauville in August, 2006. Having received the all-clear, he returned to action in early 2008, riding his first winner at Mont de Marsan in France in February and making a making a successful return to England four days later when partnering General Blucher to success at Lingfield.
A productive 2008 campaign also included an eighth Royal Ascot win on Langs Lash in the Queen Mary Stakes, a brace of wins at Glorious Goodwood courtesy of Gravitation and Indian Days, as well as a valuable York handicap success on Brave Prospector.
2009: Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup debut
Quick Guide to the annual Shergar Cup
