IT was during last year’s Galway Festival that the great John Thomas McNamara sadly passed and, in celebration of his life, the Irish Injured Jockey fund are joining forces with the g Hotel & Spa to raise much needed funds to help Irish jockeys and their families.

The fundraising J.T. McNamara Memorial Event kicks off at 8pm on Wednesday, August 2nd in the g Hotel & Spa immediately after the racing at Ballybrit. For just €10 entry which will be donated to the Irish Injured Jockey fund, attendees will enjoy great music and tasty finger food sponsored by the g Hotel and an opportunity to win a fantastic range of prizes. An auction will take place for larger prizes as well as a raffle with all proceeds donated directly to the Irish Injured Jockey Fund.

The smashing prizes include: private tours of leading Irish trainers’ yards, hotel stays, ladies day tickets, signed sporting memorabilia, dinner vouchers in Galway city restaurants, concert tickets, spa vouchers and more.

For advance tickets to the J.T. McNamara Memorial Event, please contact Suzanne Meade at the g Hotel on smeade@theg.ie or 091 778467.

Rear-ending Richard

RICHARD Pugh did his usual marvellous job as MC at last Saturday’s point-to-point awards (see pages A14-15) but he was lucky to be there at all following a minor motoring incident on the way to Wexford. While driving, Richard took a call from a handler inquiring about tickets for the event. Richard said that he was no longer involved in ticket sales and passed on the appropriate contact details. Moments later our hero was stopped at traffic lights when his car was rear-ended. Out jumped the culprit, a familiar face, who sheepishly said: “Oh, sorry Richard. I was just calling that number you gave me!” What were the odds on that?

T.M. Burns tracked down in Pasadena

LAST week we asked for your help in finding T.M. Burns for the upcoming book Who Was Who in Irish Racing.

RESULT! Co-author Guy Williams has been in touch with updates.

“John Mulvihill, home on a flying visit from California, where he works with the Tote, purchased the last copy of The Irish Field on sale in Kilcullen and promptly got in touch.”

Thomas M. Burns travelled horses out to California for P.J. Prendergast in the 1950s, and there made a fresh start, riding for Frank McMahon, a patron of the Prendergast stable. Long before jockeys’ agents became the norm over here Thomas Burns had one in California – none other than Paddy Prendergast junior, or ‘Long Paddy’.

Thomas married over there, raising three sons, by then as a trainer, having latterly ridden over jumps at Saratoga. Retired now, he lives quietly in Pasadena.

Thank you readers. (More help needed - see page A20)