My first racing hero.
Flat or jumps all came alike to Tommy.
My trainer JJ Walsh tells a great tale of Tommy; entries were two to three weeks ahead of race day in the old days and once you made your entry you booked your jockey. Tommy always kept his word when accepting a ride regardless of what else he was offered.
This day, St Patrick's Day at Limerick , day after Cheltenham Tommy is booked to ride Fort Brady, trained by JJ and owned by bookmaker Alf Hogan.
The money was down from early morning, they arrived at the races only to find Tommy unconscious from drink after a successful Festival.
The owners wanted to replace Tommy; JJ refused, waiting for Tommy to excuse himself.
Valets spent the afternoon pouring coffee into Tommy to sober him up but to no avail.
Tommy arrived in parade ring for his ride and duly fell off the other side when legged up.
Anyways he left the parade ring eventually.
The race, a 3 mile chase was like a battle ground on heavy going with horses falling right and left.
Tommy's horseman ship and survival skills kept the partnership intact as he instinctively avoided fallen horses and jockeys to win alone.
JJ maintains he would never have won had he been sober.
He won Gold Cups, Grand Nationals , Colonial Cups, Birdcatcher Nursery and Joe McGrath Champion stakes in the 1970s; the nearest we have seen to Martin Molony in my lifetime. At a Killarney May meeting he won on the flat, hurdles and fences and could do 9 stone easily.
The last time i saw Tommy was at Leopardstown a few years ago when Nina, Peter John, Paul and maybe Philip rode in Leopardstown chase.
After racing i over heard him tell his wife he could not make it down the stairs from the top level but she took his hand and guided him down.
One of the very very best I have seen ride, he was also the one J P McManus held in highest esteem.
Rest in Peace Tommy.