RACEHORSE owner Fergus Jones died earlier this month, following an illness. He would have been 60 this week.
Brother of Mary Moore, Arthur’s wife, and of Timmy Jones, he was a first cousin of Chris Jones, owned of Klairon Davis, Coeur Sublime, et cetera.
Fergus owned Rag Top, winner of five races in 2002 for trainer Richard Hannon, including the Debutante Stakes at the Curragh. The filly was also placed in the Queen Mary at Royal Ascot.
A stockbroker based in London, Fergus was a regular visitor to Leopardstown, Punchestown and Cheltenham. He moved to Valencia in Spain about 10 years ago and was a less frequent visitor in recent years as he battled cancer.
He is survived by siblings Mary, Tim, John, Irene, Therese, Evelyn, Dominic and Ciaran.
One of his friends was Danny Durkan, whom Fergus nicknamed “Toad” and is referenced in the verse below, which was penned by John Osborne.
Fergus
Plaque on wall – McCormack’s pub
The story of a noble Dub
‘Fore Twitter, X or mobile phones
The legend who was Fergus Jones
Long, long ago, when times were thin
We watered at The Manor Inn
Each jockey, vagabond and stones
Was there to meet with Fergus Jones
One night the English came to Naas
Sparring for a fight or race
“I love, not fight” our man bemoans,
“We’ll race your best” says Fergus Jones
Nas-na-Ri, the fort of kings
Is used to seeing funny things
But all the kings on all the thrones
Were boring next to Fergus Jones
We set it up, four-thousand feet
Entire length of the Main Street
To The Manor Inn from Mick Malone's
The perfect trip for Fergus Jones
Halford, Powell, Shortt and Toad
Were lined up all along the road
To cheer him, give it all he owns,
The secret weapon, Fergus Jones
On England’s empire, sun ne’er set
But foe like Fergus they’d not met
No Coe’s, Ovett’s no Michael Owens
Could run as fast as Fergus Jones
A race for pride, but mostly cash
Was reason for this famous dash
Coral, Ladbrokes and Fred Done’s
They all paid out on Fergus Jones
We loved his style, his biting wit
We loved that Fergus took no shit
We love him to his very bones
Our greatest sportsman, Fergus Jones.
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