Fergal O'Brien (trainer)
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Fergal O'Brien (trainer)
Fergal O’Brien (born 19 August 1972) is an Irish Grade 1 winning National Hunt trainer based in Gloucestershire. Background and early career O’Brien was born in Limerick, the youngest of six children. When he was four his family moved to Ballina, County Tipperary. Although the family was not involved with horses (his father was a bus driver and his mother a cook), two of his brothers left Ireland for England to work in racing. When O’Brien was sixteen, in 1989, he attended a course at the British Racing School in Newmarket, Suffolk, Newmarket and then went to work at the stables of Tim Forster in Lambourn. Having relinquished his ambition to be a jockey, he moved to the stables of Nigel Twiston-Davies at Naunton in Gloucestershire where he stayed for 19 years, becoming head lad and assistant trainer. While working for Nigel Twiston-Davies he helped prepare two Grand National winners, Earth Summit (horse), Earth Summit (1998) and Bindaree (2002), and Cheltenham Gold Cup wi ...
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National Hunt
National Hunt Racing, also known as Jump Racing, is a form of horse racing particular to many European countries, including, but not limited to: France, Great Britain and Ireland. Jump Racing requires horses to jump over fences and ditches. In the UK, National Hunt Racing is divided into two major distinct branches: Hurdling and Steeplechase, as well as flat races called “Bumpers”. Hurdling involves horses jumping over Hurdles, while Steeplechase involves the horses jumping over a variety of different obstacles that includes fences, water jump or an open ditch. Some of the biggest National Hunt events of the year in the UK are the Grand National and the Cheltenham Gold Cup. Overview The National Hunt season primarily occurs during the winter months when softer ground conditions make jumping safer for horses. The horses are significantly cheaper compared to sport horses for other equestrian sports, reason being the majority are geldings and have no breeding value. Jum ...
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Paddy Brennan (jockey)
Paddy Brennan (born 13 April 1981) is a retired Irish jump jockey. He was champion conditional jockey in the 2004/05 season and won the 2010 Cheltenham Gold Cup on Imperial Commander. He was based in Gloucestershire as stable jockey at Fergal O'Brien's yard for several years before his retirement in April 2024. Early life A native of Ardrahan, County Galway, Brennan was a keen GAA player with dreams of becoming a county hurler. Although not from a racing background, he had a pony and went hunting. Brennan started out in racing at the yard of trainer Jim Bolger with the intention of being a flat jockey but decided to switch to jumps on account of his weight. He moved to the UK in 2000 to join Paul Nicholl's stable at Ditcheat, Somerset. Career In the 2004/05 season Brennan became champion conditional jockey and achieved his first Grade 1 success with Ashley Brook in the Maghull Novices' Chase at Aintree in April. His first win at the Cheltenham Festival came in 2006, when ...
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Carlisle Racecourse
Carlisle Racecourse is a thoroughbred horse racing venue located in the village of Blackwell just outside Carlisle in Cumbria, England. The course has been on its present site since 1904, when it moved there from the area known as The Swifts close to the centre of Carlisle. The course is 1 mile and 4 furlongs (2.41 km) in circumference, right-handed, and hosts flat racing in the summer and National Hunt racing over the winter months. The last half mile is up a steep incline. The going can get very heavy in the winter. History was made on 2 July 1929 when the newly formed Totalisator Board operated their pool betting system for the first time on a British racecourse at Carlisle. Carlisle is home to the Carlisle Bell, one of the oldest horse races in existence. Held annually at Carlisle Racecourse in June alongside the Cumberland Plate, the race is run over 7 furlongs and 173 yards, and although the Bell is presented ceremoniously to the winner, it is actually kept in the ...
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Irish Independent
The ''Irish Independent'' is an Irish daily newspaper A newspaper is a Periodical literature, periodical publication containing written News, information about current events and is often typed in black ink with a white or gray background. Newspapers can cover a wide variety of fields such as poli ... and online publication which is owned by Independent News & Media (INM), a subsidiary of Mediahuis. The newspaper version often includes glossy magazines. Traditionally a broadsheet newspaper, it introduced an additional compact size in 2004. Further, in December 2012 (following billionaire Denis O'Brien's takeover) it was announced that the newspaper would become compact only. History Murphy and family (1905–1973) The ''Irish Independent'' was formed in 1905 as the direct successor to ''The Irish Daily Independent and Daily Nation'', an 1890s' pro- Parnellite newspaper. It was launched by William Martin Murphy, a controversial Irish nationalist businessman, ...
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Ascot Racecourse
Ascot Racecourse is a dual-purpose British racecourse, located in Ascot, Berkshire, England, about 25 miles west of London. Ascot is used for thoroughbred horse racing, and it hosts 13 of Britain's 36 annual Flat Group 1 races and three Grade 1 Jumps races. The racetrack's current grandstand was completed in 2006. Ascot Racecourse is visited by approximately 600,000 people a year, accounting for 10% of all UK racegoers. The racecourse covers leased from the Crown Estate, and enjoys close association with the British Royal Family. Ascot was founded in 1711 by Queen Anne of Great Britain, Queen Anne and is about from Windsor Castle. Royal stands have been in use at the sports venue since the late 18th century. The main grandstand has been demolished and rebuilt on many occasions. The first public grandstand was built in 1839 and has been redeveloped over the centuries. Queen Elizabeth II visited the racecourse quite frequently. The seating area was reconstructed in 1961 and n ...
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Long Walk Hurdle
The Long Walk Hurdle is a Grade 1 National Hunt hurdle race in Great Britain which is open to horses aged four years or older. It is run at Ascot over a distance of about 3 miles and half a furlong (3 miles and 97 yards, or 5,029 metres), and there are twelve hurdles to be jumped. The race is scheduled to take place each year in December. The event is named after ''The Long Walk'', an avenue of trees in Windsor Great Park. It was first run in 1965, and it was initially a handicap race. It became a conditions race in 1971, and it was given Grade 1 status in 1990. Prior to the redevelopment of Ascot Racecourse, which took place during the period 2004–06, the distance of the race was 3 miles and 1½ furlongs. Since 1971, six winners of the Long Walk Hurdle have gone on to win the Stayers' Hurdle in the same season – Derring Rose (1980–81), Baracouda (2001–02), My Way de Solzen (2005–06), Big Buck's (2009–10, 2010–11 ...
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Aintree Racecourse
Aintree Racecourse is a horse racing, racecourse in Aintree, Merseyside, England, near to Liverpool. The racecourse is the venue for the Grand National steeplechase (horse racing), steeplechase, which takes place annually in April over three days. Aintree also holds meetings in May, October (Sunday), November and December (both Saturdays). The Aintree Racecourse had suffered three major disruptions in post-war history, starting with the 1993 Grand National due to a series of false starts and no winner was announced, followed by the 1997 Grand National, postponed to Monday because of an IRA bomb threat and the 2023 Grand National was delayed due to Animal Rights protesters. History of the course Horse racing was popular in Liverpool from at least Tudor dynasty, Tudor times, In the 18th century Nicholas Blundell organised races on the sands at Crosby, Merseyside, Crosby. In 1829, William Lynn, the owner of the Waterloo Hotel in Ranelagh Street, Liverpool, approached the Second E ...
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Nickel Coin Mares' Standard Open NH Flat Race
The Nickel Coin Mares' Standard Open NH Flat Race is a Grade 2 National Hunt flat race in Great Britain which is open to fillies and mares aged four to six years. It is run at Aintree over a distance of about 2 miles and 1 furlong (2 miles and 209 yards, or ), and it is scheduled to take place each year during the Grand National meeting in early April. The race is named after Nickel Coin, the winner of the 1951 Grand National and the most recent mare to win the Grand National. The race was first run in 2005 with Listed status, then was promoted to Grade 2 in 2016. Records Leading jockey (2 wins): * Robert Thornton - ''Senorita Rumbalita (2005), Avispa (2014) '' * Ruby Walsh – ''Rhacophorus (2006), Candy Creek (2009)'' Leading trainer (3 wins): * Alan King – ''Senorita Rumbalita (2005), Avispa (2014), The Glancing Queen (2019)'' Winners See also * Horse racing in Great Britain * List of British National Hunt races References *Racing P ...
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Nicky Henderson
Nicholas John Henderson (born 10 December 1950) is a British racehorse trainer. He has been British jump racing Champion Trainer six times. Background His father was Johnny Henderson who was one of the founders of the Racecourse Holdings Trust as well as earlier in life being Aide-de-camp to Field Marshal Montgomery. In 2005 two years after Johnny Henderson's death Cheltenham renamed one of the races at the Cheltenham Festival in his honour as the Johnny Henderson Grand Annual Chase. In 2006 Nicky Henderson won this race with a horse called Greenhope. Henderson, educated at Eton College, has been a trainer since 1978, based at Seven Barrows near Lambourn, Berkshire. Previously he was an amateur jockey, and assistant trainer to Fred Winter between 1974 and 1978. Achievements His most notable successes have come with See You Then, winner of the Champion Hurdle in 1985, 1986 and 1987; Remittance Man, winner of the Queen Mother Champion Chase in 1992; Punjabi, winner of ...
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Paul Nicholls (horse Racing)
Paul Frank Nicholls (born 17 April 1962) is a British National Hunt horse trainer with stables at Ditcheat, Somerset. A relatively successful jump jockey, Nicholls has become the leading National Hunt trainer of his generation in Britain, finishing the 2007–08 season with 155 winners and a record £4 million in prize money. As of April 2023, he has trained over 3,500 winners, won the 2012 Grand National, four Cheltenham Gold Cups and has been crowned British jump racing Champion Trainer fourteen times. Early life and education The son of a policeman, Nicholls was educated at Marlwood School, Alveston before leaving at 16 to take up work in a local point-to-point yard. Jockey career Nicholls turned conditional in 1982 under the tutelage of Josh Gifford before joining David Barons in 1985, and became stable jockey in 1986. It was with Barons that Nicholls was most closely associated during his riding career. The pair enjoyed numerous big race successes, includin ...
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British Jump Racing Champion Trainer
The Champion Trainer of National Hunt racing in Great Britain is the trainer whose horses have won the most prize money during a season. The list below shows the Champion Trainer for each season since 1945–46. Winners * 1945–46 - Tommy Rayson * 1946–47 - Fulke Walwyn * 1947–48 - Fulke Walwyn * 1948–49 - Fulke Walwyn * 1949–50 - Peter Cazalet * 1950–51 - Fred Rimell * 1951–52 - Neville Crump * 1952–53 - Vincent O'Brien * 1953–54 - Vincent O'Brien * 1954–55 - Ryan Price * 1955–56 - William Hall * 1956–57 - Neville Crump * 1957–58 - Fulke Walwyn * 1958–59 - Ryan Price * 1959–60 - Peter Cazalet * 1960–61 - Fred Rimell * 1961–62 - Ryan Price * 1962–63 - Keith Piggott * 1963–64 - Fulke Walwyn * 1964–65 - Peter Cazalet * 1965–66 - Ryan Price * 1966–67 - Ryan Price * 1967–68 - Denys Smith * 1968–69 - Fred Rimell * 1969–70 - Fred Rimell * 1970–71 - Fred Winter * 1971–72 - Fred Winter * 1972–73 - Fred Winter * 1973–74 - ...
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Racing Post
''Racing Post'' is a British daily horse racing, greyhound racing, and sports betting publisher published in print and digital formats. It is printed in tabloid format from Monday to Sunday. , it has an average daily circulation of 60,629 copies. History Launched on 15 April 1986, the ''Racing Post'' is a daily national print and digital publisher specializing in the British horse racing industry, horse racing, greyhound racing, and sports betting. The paper was founded by UAE (United Arab Emirates) Prime Minister and Sheikh of Dubai Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, a racehorse owner, and edited by Graham Rock, who was replaced by Michael Harris in 1988. In 1998, Sheikh Mohammed sold the license for the paper to Trinity Mirror, owners of '' The Sporting Life'' for £1, although Sheikh Mohammed still retains ownership of the paper's name, and Trinity Mirror donated £10 million to four horse racing charities as a condition of the transfer. In 2007, Trinity ...
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