The Profile
The horse racing career behind the headlines.
Mick Fitzgerald won the Grand National on Rough Quest in 1996, which is the kind of achievement that sets up a jockey for life in British racing. His career over the jumps spanned twenty years and included a Cheltenham Gold Cup, more than a thousand career winners, and a reputation as one of the most articulate jockeys of his generation during a time when racing journalists valued that kind of articulacy more than any other professional quality.
His career ended earlier than planned because of a neck injury suffered at Aintree in 2008, but the transition to broadcasting was immediate and successful. He has become the lead analyst and commentator on ITV's racing coverage, particularly during the Cheltenham Festival each March, where his expertise on jumps form, horses, and tactical riding is considered the gold standard in the British racing media.
At Steam, his events coincide with the racing calendar, and the Cheltenham Preview nights he has hosted have become one of the most oversubscribed regular fixtures in our calendar.
“Winning the Grand National changes your life for about a fortnight. Then you are back at Sandown in the rain, riding a six year old you have never met, and nothing is any different at all.”
Career highlights
- Grand National winning jockey, Rough Quest 1996
- Over 1,000 career winners over the jumps
- Cheltenham Gold Cup winning jockey
- Lead ITV Racing analyst and commentator
- Co-founder of the Injured Jockeys Fund outreach programme
First hand
Mick Fitzgerald at Steam
Mick is a Steam regular and the Cheltenham Festival preview events he hosts have become a fixture of the calendar. The February 2026 preview was one of the fastest-selling lunches we have ever run.