Phonsie O'Brien RIP

an capall

an capall

Senior Jockey
Joined
May 2, 2003
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Just belatedly realised he'd died recently. Very influential behind the scenes and took over MVOB's license to train Chamour to win the Irish Derby in 1960 after Vincent fell foul of the doping rules. (Later fully resolved.) Him and Jacqueline in the same year is sad. RIP Alphonsus Septimus.
 
The first meeting I ever was taken too was Galway Plate day in 1965, when Stan Mellor was over to ride Ross Sea for Phonsie O'Brien. It was a big deal having the English champion jockey at the meeting and Ross Sea had won the race the previous year. My dad took the hint, and word he'd heard from Egan's hotel in Oughterard where the O'Brien contingent were staying, and told us we could each have a half crown place bet on it. I insisted I wanted a win bet rather than a place and when Ross Sea won at 8/1 I had finally got one over on my older brothers. No wonder I'm still in love with racing.
 
Grey said:
The first meeting I ever was taken too was Galway Plate day in 1965, when Stan Mellor was over to ride Ross Sea for Phonsie O'Brien. It was a big deal having the English champion jockey at the meeting and Ross Sea had won the race the previous year. My dad took the hint, and word he'd heard from Egan's hotel in Oughterard where the O'Brien contingent were staying, and told us we could each have a half crown place bet on it. I insisted I wanted a win bet rather than a place and when Ross Sea won at 8/1 I had finally got one over on my older brothers. No wonder I'm still in love with racing.
Click to expand...

Nice of your Dad to give betting money to a son already well into his 20's.
 
My buddy Richard McCormick told me that his father got a letter from Vincent O 'Brien asking him to take on Phonsie as a pupil assistant trainer in the 1950s.
At the time Dick McCormick was having huge success training fillies for A P Reynolds . (head of CIE at the time )
Dick declined as he said he did not train enough horses to warrant taking someone on: he told his son that Vincent wanted Phonsie to learn how to train fillies so that he (Vincent) could concentrate on training colts.
Dick told his son that if he taught Phonsie what he knew there would no more good fillies for himself to train !
Many years later Richard trained Aristocracy to win the Whitehall Stakes as a 3 year old for a certain C J Haughey.
At season's end Richard got a phone call informing that the horse was being removed and sent to Ballydoyle for the following season.
No one can be quite sure if it was M.V. settling an old score re Phonsie or C J wanting a place to refuel his helicopter mid way from Abbeyville to Inishvickalaune, his island off Kerry.
Ironically Abbeyville was previously owned by one A P Reynolds !

Phonsie was well liked by all in Churchtown, Ballydoyle, and all points between, Prince and Pauper alike.
One of the old Ballydoyle staff spoke of the day Phonsie introduced Robert Sangster to him at The Curragh and a great chat reminiscing was enjoyed by all.
His daughter Gillian as well as training herself was a key figure in Noel Meade's and Charlie Swan's stables.
Rest in Peace.
 
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