Paddy Flood: ‘If I Showboated Like Harry Skelton, I’d Have Been Sacked’

Paddy Flood has revealed he was almost sacked by Mouse Morris after celebrating like Harry Skelton before the line when winning the 2008 Irish Grand National with Hear The Echo.

Speaking on irishracing.com's Irish Angle show this week, the former jockey admitted he thought Skelton was a “clown” for his ‘skelecopter' celebration on Panic Attack in the Paddy Power Gold Cup at the weekend but it may attract outsiders to the sport.

Skelton, riding for his brother Dan, flew his arms out wide before crossing the line with Panic Attack at Cheltenham's November meeting.

Mouse Morris Would Not Approve

“I remember I lifted up my hand with my finger to signal the crowd after winning the Irish National, and Mouse nearly sacked me after it!” Flood explained.

“He said, ‘Do whatever you like on other horses but do not celebrate before the line on my horses'.

“So that was drilled into me really. We probably all did it as kids riding ponies.

“When he did it, I just thought, ‘Oh, will you get down, you clown,' in my head.

“It's not March, it's not Cheltenham in March. It's the Paddy Power Chase, a fairly ordinary one at that.

“He gave it a grand ride, they had a great weekend.”

Celebration May Have Broad Appeal

While Flood was not personally a fan of the celebration, he noted that the online reaction means it could be viewed as a positive for the sport.

He said: “I was looking online, and a lot of non-racing people enjoyed it. I suppose it's like celebrating a goal — if you don't like the goalscorer, you won't like the celebration.

“Me being in the industry, I don't really care. I just thought it looked a bit silly. But if others enjoy it, fair enough.

“He was at the line, there was no fear of him coming off doing it. Mentally he knows exactly what he's doing.

“Though if he ever does fall one day, he'll never do it again.

“In Australian racing, he'd have been fined probably 10% of his winnings for that. If you stop riding even slightly before the line there, it's a massive fine.”

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