
Jim Bolger has enjoyed tremendous success as a trainer since taking out his license in the late 1970’s and is adept at getting the very best out of racehorses. He has built a first-class training establishment from his base in Coolcullen, Co. Carlow and has captured many top races around the world in the last three decades.
In the early days, Jim appeared to have a particular knack of getting the best out of his fillies and GIVE THANKS’ success in the 1983 Irish Oaks was his first Classic success. Other brilliant fillies trained by Bolger include PARK APPEAL, PARK EXPRESS, POLONIA, 1991 Epsom Oaks winner,
JET SKI LADY, 2002 Irish Oaks winner MARGARULA (IRE), multiple Group 1 winner LUSH LASHES, and the outstanding filly ALEXANDER GOLDRUN (IRE), that truly put Jim Bolger on the world stage, when winning five Group 1’s, in four different countries, a remarkable achievement by horse and trainer.
Bolger also trained ST JOVITE to win the 1992 Irish Derby, by 12 lengths. However, it is in the last few seasons that he has reached a career peak, with Champion two-year-olds TEOFILO (IRE), NEW APPROACH (IRE) and DAWN APPROACH (IRE) . Incredibly, Bolger has trained five winners of the last seven runnings of the Group 1 Dewhurst Stakes at Newmarket. TEOFILO’s career was cut short by injury, and he did not race at three, retiring as an unbeaten two-year-old. NEW APPROACH (IRE) went on to win the Epsom Derby and both the Irish and English Champion Stakes, to finish his three-year-old career as joint World Champion racehorse, and DAWN APPROACH (IRE) made the perfect start to his classic year with a resounding win in the 2013 Qipco 2000 Guineas at Newmarket.