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Thread: In Memoriam (Racing People)

  1. #241
    Super Moderator Diamond Geezer's Avatar
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  3. #242
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    Yes desperately sad to read.
    tu ne cede malis, sed contra audentior ito

  4. #243
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    Michael Fortune, late of Irish Press, RTE Radio and the voice of greyhound racing after Paddy O'Brien .
    a fine broadcaster who left his mark.
    Rest In Peace

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  6. #244
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    Jimmy Mullane Irish Champion Flat jockey 1951.
    Rode winners of Irish Derby /irish Oaks in 1952 aged 19 and Irish 2000 guineas 1954.
    A top rider in sprints and two year old races he could steal lengths at the start of every race by standing back off the line and gunning his horse as the tapes rose, a trick he learned from australian jack Thompson.
    Richard McCormick told me that when Jimmy rode work for his father on The Curragh "Great things always happened ".
    One day at Bellewstown riding a filly for Dick Jimmy , after stealing an early lead caught the filly's right ear, releasing it only near the finish when needing that final push to hold on, in an age when ear plugs were not thought of. Had Ruby or Frankie won a race in this style we would be in raptures for months after talking about the audacity of it all.
    Riding freelance in the late 1950s he rode big race winners for John Oxx snr, Charlie Weld and Dick McCormick among others.
    A court case over a horse saw him leave Ireland "under a cloud " so he tried Northern England to resurrect his career, riding winners but never to the heights of his early years.
    Head injuries ended his career in 1969 , Jimmy took to living in a caravan near a convent.
    his wife died when quite young and he never quite got over that.
    He ended his days in a Nursing home near Kildorrery where i met him before his final stint in Hospital.
    Alas dementia had taken his mind and his memories.
    He died yesterday.
    Rest in Peace Jimmy, your light shone as bright as any if for a short time.

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  8. #245
    Senior Member an capall's Avatar
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    The legend that was Stan Cosgrove is no more. He will ascend straight to paradise for putting up with Tommo during the Shergar crisis.

    I am guessing that Eddie, who knows everybody, will have some memories to share.
    "And still they gazed and still the wonder grew. That one small head could carry all he knew.

    And that small head knew that Impaire Et Passe would win the Champion Hurdle."

  9. #246
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    Where to begin;
    I was a student staying in a University Residence run by a right wing Catholic group when Stan arrived as an after dinner guest one night.
    He had operated on Golden Fleece just a few weeks previously so was " the man " in Irish veterinary.
    Seeing my interest he arranged a visit to Moyglare Stud ( which he managed)for me and the house director.
    He also gave us the inside story of Shergar's kidnapping as shown on the documentary earlier this year.
    His uncle Maxie was the man who diagnosed Arkle's pedal bone fracture Dec 1966.
    His brother (also Maxie) was killed by a kick from a mare on looking in a stable door shortly after qualifying in the early 1950s.
    Stan was instrumental in starting RACE, the apprentice jockeys school on the Curragh in the early 1970s so lots of people have reason to be thankful to him.
    Jerry O' Brien , breeder of Tiger Roll worked for him after qualifying and may have been engaged to marry his daughter.
    I last saw him at The Curragh Irish 1000 Guineas day for the grand opening .
    In a wheelchair he was greeted by all who knew him and some, our Agriculture Minister included , who didn't.
    Rest In Peace Stan and remember always to hold the emasculator for three Hail Mary's before releasing !

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  11. #247
    Senior Member granger's Avatar
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    Once you get your writing hand firmly out of the cow's backside Ed, I await your book with glee
    Some people say he’s the best since Arkle and that’s certainly true when you look at what he’s done

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  13. #248
    Super Moderator Diamond Geezer's Avatar
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    News from France that Ferdy Murphy has died after long battle with cancer

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  15. #249
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    Some trainer to put one away for the Festival.
    L' Antartique one of many to put a smile on my face through the years.
    He learned plenty from Paddy Mullins and put it to good use.
    Rest In Peace

  16. #250
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    In Memoriam (Racing People)

    I’ll remember him for the ill fated French Holly who sadly died a year or two after running away with what’s now the Ballymore

    RIP


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
    Last edited by viking; 3rd September 2019 at 12:55 PM.

  17. #251
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    Ah Anaglogs Daughter wins the 1980 Arkle Chase Ferdy oversaw the operation from the Durkan's Glencullen base.

    French Holly (who was famously balloted out when one of the favourites for the 1996 bumper) was probably the best horse he trained. A relentless galloper, he chased home Istabraq a number of times.

    As edgt says, a good man to lay one out.

    RIP

  18. #252
    Senior Member granger's Avatar
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    Like Mouse in terms of getting one ready for March
    Some people say he’s the best since Arkle and that’s certainly true when you look at what he’s done

  19. #253
    Senior Member simmo's Avatar
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    RIP - used to love following Ferdy Murphy's horses - he got my first 33-1 winner at the Festival with Hot Weld.

  20. #254
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    L'Antartique one of my favourites of his too.

    Rest In Peace

  21. #255
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    I was fortunate to get to know Ferdy pretty well before his move to France. He wasn't aloof and too full of his own importance like many in racing. He was just genuine. One of the few who would make a point of walking over to say hello and having a chat wherever it was or whatever he was doing. Always asking about the family before anything else. A man who always had time when others always seemed to have no time at all.

    He's actually (kind of) responsible for the biggest winning day I've ever had. Not from a tip from him, which he rarely gave other than to say a horse was well, but from getting to know him I thought I could predict him and his ability to lay one out. Anyhow, I started backing Naiad du Misselot for the Coral Cup as soon as the first prices were up, and I backed him from big prices antepost all the way down to several big bets on the day, even last minute at his starting price of 7/1 which was far too short. Such I was convinced he'd win. The amounts prior to the day had already been too big and too often. By the off I had completely lost track of what I had on. I'd also told pretty much everyone I knew to get on I was that sure he'd win.

    The diminishing nose he won by was possibly the hardest finish I've ever had to watch. I pretty much lost my voice shouting him up the hill, and from where I watched the race I was convinced he'd been done on the line. When the announcement came through and he'd won I could barely believe it, and what little was left of my voice was pretty much finished off by being in full celebration mode for the rest of the day.

    By the start of the final race I was probably already beyond 'three sheets', and hadn't realised the County Hurdle was off. Then amongst large gulps of Guinness I heard the words 'and here comes Silver Jaro challenging on the outside'. What was left of my voice was completely gone when Silver Jaro crossed the line and I'd had £50 on the Tote at something like 60 odd pounds. For those of you that remember, Silver Jaro beat a good thing of Tony Martin's called Psycho. To this day still I thank Paul Carberry whenever I see him for hanging on to Psycho for too long', leaving Silver Jaro the winner by a fast diminishing neck that would have been gone in less than another stride.

    Anyway Naiad du Misselot, and to a lesser extent Silver Jaro, paid for a lot of champagne that night for me and large group of mates. We pretty much drank the Plough in Prestbury dry, and god knows where we ended up afterwards. I was due to go home that evening but ended up sleeping on the floor in someones else's B&B. They were gone when I woke feeling like death in my coat and racing gear the following morning, and to this day I have no idea where or who's room I stayed in. Anyway, I got home and when I was able, I went through my accounts and added my account winnings to my cash winnings. It turned out I'd won £25k on Naiad du Misselot and a further £3.3k on Silver Jaro. I thought it was going to be around £10k, and less than that having having blown about a third of it in on an alcohol fuelled evening. The hangover was helped massively when I found that I'd won over £28k on two horses. Happy days.

    I was fortunate to meet up with Ferdy two or three weeks later, and I told him about the day I'd had thanks to him. I bought him dinner that evening, and over a pint beforehand, I can't remember the exact words he used, he essentially said he liked the horse and reckoned it had a chance, but the push all the way down to 7/1 wasn't stable confidence, and nobody could understand where the money was coming from. Yes, there'd been a bit of stable/owner money on, but he'd been far less confident than me. They thought the price was ludicrous, and saw him going off at 12's-14's. So it seems rather than being the smart guy I thought I was, I was actually just the luckiest deluded gambler in Cheltenham!

    Anyway enough ramblings and reminiscing. Ferdy wasn't just a really good trainer with an eye for a horse, one who was a multiple Festival winner who punched well above his weight. I'll remember him more for just being a thoroughly good bloke. Salt of the earth. Someone I got to know as a friend, who was as genuine as they come. I might only have seen him a couple of times since his move to France, but my world is a worse place without him.
    Last edited by Maruco; 4th September 2019 at 3:07 PM.

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  23. #256
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    Sorry for your loss Maruco

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    I spoke to him one day at Aintree -he was very generous with his time.R.I.P.

  25. #258
    Super Moderator Diamond Geezer's Avatar
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    Didn't know where to put this but it transpires the horrific death of Saskia Jones in the terrorist attack on London Bridge a couple of weeks ago is exacerbated for the racing world by learning that she was the daughter of Alastair Down.

  26. #259
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    Quote Originally Posted by Diamond Geezer View Post
    Didn't know where to put this but it transpires the horrific death of Saskia Jones in the terrorist attack on London Bridge a couple of weeks ago is exacerbated for the racing world by learning that she was the daughter of Alastair Down.
    Didnt realise this. I was friends with his sister in law and nothing had been mentioned so I’m guessing this poor girl wasn’t his wife’s child. But utterly tragic to be cut down in the prime of life when your intentions are so much in the right place.
    tu ne cede malis, sed contra audentior ito

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    Quote Originally Posted by Diamond Geezer View Post
    Didn't know where to put this but it transpires the horrific death of Saskia Jones in the terrorist attack on London Bridge a couple of weeks ago is exacerbated for the racing world by learning that she was the daughter of Alastair Down.

    Well that's news to me, and I'd guess to many more people. I thought she was single yet her surname is Jones - More to this than meets the eye methinks

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