Born in Dunmanway, County Cork on June 23, 1992, Gavin Sheehan began his riding career on the pony racing circuit in his early teens before graduating to become amateur rider to Michael Hourigan in Patrickswell, County Limerick. He subsequently became conditional jockey to John Joseph Murphy in Upton, County Cork, for whom he would ride his first winner under Rules, Whatsabillion, in a handicap hurdle at Thurles on February 24, 2011.
All told, Sheehan managed just two winners in two years in his native land and, after being sidelined through injury, took the opportunity to cross the Irish Sea and replace Peter O’Toole as conditional jockey to Charlie Mann in Upper Lambourn, Berkshire. O’Toole suffered a serious brain injury following a fall in the Maghull Novices’ Chase at Aintree on Grand National Day, April 9, 2011. According to Sheehan, the move to Mann proved pivotal in his career but, after riding 31 winners on British soil in his first two seasons, he joined Warren Greatrex, who was, at the stage, a young, up-and-coming trainer also based in Upper Lambourn.
In his first season attached to Greatrex, 2013/14, Sheehan rode 50 winners to become British Champion Conditional Jockey. The following season, Greatrex used him as first-choice jockey, resulting in a then career-best 73 winners, including his first Grade 1 winner, Cole Harden, trained by Greatrex, in the World Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival on March 12, 2015. Sheehan rode out his claim on Arzal, trained by Harry Whittington, in the Manifesto Novices’ Chase at Aintree on April 7, 2016 – also the second Grade 1 winner of his career – but, thereafter, he suffered a series of injuries and was subsequently demoted to second-choice jockey for Greatrex, behind Richard Johnson, in 2017/18.
However, Sheehan soon began a profitable association with Lambourn trainer Jamie Snowden – for whom, at the time of writing, he has ridden nearly 300 winners – and owners Kate and Andrew Brookes, for whom he is the retained rider. He currently has half a dozen Grade 1 winners to his name, including Hewick, trained by John Joseph ‘Shark’ Hanlon, in the King George VI Chase at Kempton Park on Boxing Day 2023. On April 19, 2025, Sheehan reached the landmark of 100 winners in a season for the first time on Overabottleofred, trained by Tom Gretton, in a mares’ handicap chase at Huntingdon, eventually finishing the season with 106 winners. He said, “It’s brilliant and hopefully it’ll be onwards and upwards next season as Jamie Snowden is getting bigger. “