Tommy Carberry passes away

Irish jump racing legend Tommy Carberry has died aged 75.

The head of one of Ireland's leading racing dynasties, Carberry achieved the remarkable feat of winning the Grand National both as a rider and a trainer.

He guided L'Escargot to victory over Red Rum in 1975 and saddled Bobbyjo to land the world's greatest steeplechase in 1999, ridden by his son Paul, who confirmed the news.

He said: "He passed away just before lunchtime today. He'd been ill for a while and fought it for a long time.

"He gave me a Grand National winner and has been great for Irish racing. He got the best out of everything he produced."

The Meath native became one of the sport's leading figures- winning back-to-back Cheltenham Gold Cups on board L'Escargot (1970 and 1971), before denying Red Rum a third consecutive victory in the Aintree Grand National in 1975.

A two-time champion Irish jockey and five-time national hunt jockey, Carberry retired from the saddle in the early 1980s.

As a trainer, he was instrumental as Bobbyjo "ridden by his son Pau " triumphed in the 1998 Grand National and the Aintree equivalent a year later.

With Paul's siblings Nina, Philip and Peter also going on to follow in their father's footsteps by becoming jockeys, the Carberrys are known as an Irish sporting dynasty.

After news emerged of his passing this afternoon, the racing world has been quick to pay tribute to Tommy and his family.

“On behalf of Horse Racing Ireland, I would like to express my deepest condolences to the Carberry family on the passing of Tommy,” said Horse Racing Ireland's Brian Kavanagh in a brief statement.

Multiple Irish Champion National Hunt jockey, a supreme stylist in his days in the saddle, Tommy was Champion Apprentice and in 1979 rode Fordham to success for Vincent O'Brien in the race which would evolve into the Irish Champion Stakes.

He will be forever remembered for riding top jumpers like L'Escargot and Tied Cottage, for his father-in-law Dan Moore, and the Dreapers' Ten Up and landing successes in iconic races such as the Cheltenham Gold Cup and Aintree Grand National.

The Aintree feature also provided the highlight of Tommy's training career when in 1999, Bobbyjo followed up on his Irish Grand National success of the previous year under his son Paul.

Indeed the biggest jumps race of the year in Ireland, which is run at Fairyhouse only a matter of miles from the family home, has a deep connection with the Carberrys with Tommy himself having won the race on Brown Lad and both his son Philip (Point Barrow) and daughter Nina, on her uncle Arthur Moore's Organisedconfusion, adding to Paul's victory on Bobbyjo.

Carberry was one of national hunt's greatest jockeys and also trained Bobbyjo to win the Aintree Grand National, when partnered by his son Paul Carberry.

Former Champion Trainer Noel Meade said "he was a legend, and a hero of mine from when I was a kid. He rode the first winner I had in Galway on Larks Venture. I think it was just the second winner I'd had at the time after Tu Va, and he rode a good few for me. I always enjoyed meeting him, and going for a drink with him in Ratoath.

“He was a genius in the saddle, and Paul was very like him. He was nearly a carbon copy of him. Tommy could ride a horse to win from the front one day, and hold him and win the next day. He was a fabulous tactician and judge of pace, and just had that natural talent that is so hard to come by — it is bred in him.

“It was fantastic to see him train Bobbyjo to win the National. He didn't have many bullets to fire as a trainer, and to win one of the greatest races of all was fantastic. To have Paul riding him made it all the more special, and it was just a magical day.

“When they came back to Ratoath was a magic day as they celebrated long and hard. I have great memories of him and it's so sad to hear he's gone. We have been expecting it for quite a while, and at least he's at peace now. He was a great one, and we'll miss him.”