Born: 18 December 1973 Born: Co Kerry Festival wins: 5 2002-2003 winners: 57 2001-2002 winners: 51 2000-2001 winners: 43 Main trainer: Henrietta Knight

Culloty and Best Mate claimed three consecutive Gold Cups in 2002, 2003 and 2004 the first horse and jockey to do so since the legendary Arkle back in the 1960s.

In 2002, Culloty also picked up the late winning spare ride on Bindaree in the Grand National after his regular jockey injured himself days before the race.

That Gold Cup-National double was the first in the same year by any jockey for 26 years.

And this season, the Killarney-born jockey saw his luck turn in the one race that had so far brought him misfortune.

Culloty had missed the two previous runnings of the King George VI Chase - when Best Mate was second and then won - because of injury and suspension.

But at Christmas, he managed to finally land the prize on 25-1 shot Edredon Bleu.

Culloty moved to England as an 18-year-old after riding point-to-point in Ireland.

He continued riding point-to-point for two years under the guidance of Jackie Wing, but his future looked bleak when the stables were struck down by a virus.

But after the doubts - he never thought he would make the grade as a jockey - and the downs, came a change in fortune.

Leading jockey Mick Fitzgerald pointed him in the direction of trainer Henrietta Knight and his chance to impress came sooner than expected when Jason Titley was injured.

In his first year riding out of the West Lockinge Farm stables in Wantage, Culloty took the amateur championship.

The transition to the professional ranks was not all plain sailing but the arrival of former champion jockey Terry Biddlecombe as Knight's husband and assistant-trainer has honed Culloty's riding skills and he is now one of the best around.