Murtagh Flat Ambassador Horse Racing Ireland today (Tuesday 5th May) unveiled top Flat jockey Johnny Murtagh as their first Flat Ambassador. Johnny Murtagh rode 12 Group 1 winners in 2000, and then surpassed that total in 2008 with an incredible 21 Group 1's. Murtagh has every attribute that you look for in a top class flat jockey: poise, balance, confidence, strength, judgment of pace. He is the complete package. The fact that he was selected as the number one jockey for Team Ballydoyle at the start of last season, almost certainly the top job in the world of thoroughbred racing, is testament to his supreme talent. Tamso Doyle, PR Manager said: - "We are delighted that Johnny has agreed to be our Flat Ambassador for 2009, I can think of no better person. Johnny has star quality and appeals to a wide audience. He's renowned internationally as a brilliant jockey and has won just about every big race there is to win around the world and has been a great Ambassador for Ireland for years so it is fitting we should chose him to be our first Flat Racing Ambassador. Johnny will be going on-line and bringing racing to Twitter, Facebook & Bebo which many of our audience and potential audiences increasingly use for information and entertainment". Johnny Murtagh, 2009 Flat Ambassador said: - "I'm delighted to work with HRI this year, my main focus is getting more people coming and enjoying a day at the races. In tough times people still need to be entertained and hopefully racing will give them the feel good factor. I'd really like to encourage more families and young people to come racing, its free in everywhere for under 14's. I love going to work every day, it's a great industry and I want to spread the word and enthusiasm for racing. Check me out on-line, it's all new to me but I've never turned down a challenge yet!". Johnny will be giving racegoers an in-depth look behind-the-scenes of his fitness, big race preparations, high days and low days as he will to be twittering his way through the summer and also will have a Facebook & Bebo page (social networking sites). Johnny will also doing a series of appearances for HRI during the summer and will be available on line and on www.goracing.ie
