Toomey retires
JUMP jockey Brian Toomey has called time on his riding career. The 27-year-old cheated death three years ago before making a miraculous comeback last summer but has only had a handful of rides since then.
“I just wanted the chance to prove I was still capable,” he said. “It’s a big weight lifted off my shoulders. At some point I needed to accept it wasn’t going to happen for me as a jockey.”
ITV front man
ED Chamberlin will be the main presenter of ITV’s horse racing coverage. ITV take over the terrestrial broadcast of racing from Channel 4 next January.
Chamberlin currently presents soccer on Sky Sports but is a keen racing fan. His appointment has led to speculation that neither Clare Balding nor Nick Luck will be part of the ITV team.
Oliver Murphy dies suddenly
FORMER racehorse owner and race sponsor Oliver Murphy died “unexpectedly and peacefully” in Switzerland on May 31st.
He owned some good horses trained by Dermot Weld, owned Moygaddy Stud and sponsored the Irish 1000 and 2000 Guineas through Hibernia Foods.
His brother Joseph is a successful trainer. His family has asked that, in lieu of flowers, donations be made to the Irish Motor Neurone Association.
Another Irish Festival winner
IRELAND looks set to gain a 14th Cheltenham Festival winner when Josies Orders is awarded the Cross Country Chase.
The Enda Bolger-trained and Nina Carberry-ridden Any Currency finished second to Any Currency but the winner has tested positive for a prohibited painkiller. The date for the disciplinary hearing has yet to be confirmed.
HRI interns
HORSE Racing Ireland has appointed seven interns for the summer season. Four of the student interns will work in HRI-owned racecourses and three will be based in the HRI head office.
The interns who started their 12-week work placements this week are Matthew Collins (Raheny), Christian Dodd (Ashford), Mark Lynch (Castletown-Geoghegan), Alison Brassil (Newmarket-on-Fergus), Hannah Berry (Dundrum), Giuseppe Orlandi (Mullingar) and Sarah Dempsey (Carbury).