In Memoriam (Racing People)

Mercy Rimell R.I.P. 98 years old.
Older fans here will remember her as a vital cog in her husband Fred's training team.
A horse woman through and through she hunted riding side saddle and rode all Fred's top horses at work.
Creola, bred my uncle was sold via C.B. Harty to Charlie Dixon, a farmer and owner at Fred's.
A hard puller , Mercy hunted him riding side saddle when most guys would hardly sit up on him.
Buster Harty went to Dixon's with the horse and won fourteen races and p2ps on him, finishing second in United Hunt Chase in mid 1950s.

Mercy took over Fred's licence after his death, training Gaye Brief to win 1983 Champion Hurdle and Gala's Image to win Arkle Chase a few years later.
She was part owner of Simon, Racing Post chase winner ten years or so ago.
Coolmore vet John Halley spent time with her as a student also many years ago.
 
Death announced of Martin Molony (91).
Brother to Tim , they were the best of their era, Tim being English Champion Jockey NH while Martin was runner up to him along with being Irish champion, riding 100plus winners a year flat and NH when there was only two days racing a week.
The Ruby of his era he took the mail boat and train to Birmingham Sunday night, rode in England during the week and returned to Ireland Saturday.
Also a triple classic winning flat jockey his career came to an abrupt end at 26 after a horrific fall at Thurles.
Guy St John Williams wrote a wonderful biography about twenty years ago, and statues to Martin and Tim are at Limerick racecourse.
His son Peter is Qatar racing's manager in Ireland.
Rest in Peace.
 
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.
 
Tragic news from Haydock, Stalls handler Stephen Yarborough dead after being ran over by the starting gates.Terrrible.
Rest in Peace Stephen.
 
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