Carm and Collected

Four-time champion apprentice and twice champion jockey over jumps, Tommy Carmody has long since lost count of the winners he rode. Irish Cheltenham Festival regulars will be indebted to him forever for one – Galmoy. Not once, but twice did Galmoy and Tommy Carmody save the Irish from a Cheltenham Festival whitewash, successful in the Waterford Crystal Stayers’ Hurdle in 1987 and 1988.

Bred by the late PJ ‘Darkie’ Prendergast and owned by glamorous Deborah Threadwell, Galmoy was trained by John Mulhern.

Despite justifying favouritism with a clearcut win in 1988, Galmoy’s racing style worried Tommy Carmody sufficiently for him to observe to the trainer: “Run him in blinkers next year. Then I won’t even have to hit him.”

Suitably taken aback on the foot of an apparently facile win, Mulhern riposted that “None of mine ever wear blinkers!”

Favourite to complete his Stayers’ Hurdle hat-trick in 1989, Galmoy came under pressure a long way out. Driven by Tommy, he made up some of the leeway, though eventually a well-beaten second, 12 lengths adrift. For the first and only time since World War II, the Irish left Cheltenham winnerless.

Tommy Carmody was born on July 10, 1956, the year of the Suez Crisis. A native of Limerick city, he is one of two boys and six girls. One of those six – Betty – had a pony that Tommy taught himself to ride upon, being home from school earlier that his big sis. From there he became involved in pony racing.

“Of course it was flapping, but if you mentioned flapping nowadays people would look at you. They wouldn’t have a clue!

“You’ve heard of Tommy Walker? Well, we hit it off. He had these two unbeaten ponies. Like little thoroughbreds they were. People ask me if I ever rode a Derby winner. ‘Yes,’ I say, ‘I rode three Derby winners – Dingle Derby winners!’”

It was Tommy’s treble for Tommy Walker at a meeting in County Kildare that caught the eye of jockey-turned-trainer, Liam Browne in 1971. Would Tommy come and work for him as an apprentice jockey?

“I hated school. My mother gave her blessing. I signed indentures for six years. It’s a very long time when you’re only 16. But off I went to Maddenstown. Digs were paid for. And there was a few bob for sweets. Of course ‘The Guy’, as everyone called my master, knew I was getting money from owners for riding flapping winners for them. The work was hard. I was Liam’s first apprentice. Then came Stephen Craine - ‘The Manxman’ - in 1973, Eddie Downey (1974), Mick Kinane, Pat Gilson and Steve McCormack, God bless him. He was killed in a racecourse fall.”

That all-important, crucial, unforgettable first winner came for Tommy Carmody via Tameric at Sligo in June 1972. Owned by Mrs PJ Conlon and trained by Liam Browne, Tameric won the first division of the Sligo Maiden Plate by six lengths at 8/1. Tameric went on to win an Irish Lincoln and a JT Rogers Memorial at the Curragh, albeit ridden by others.

It was at the Rose of Tralee festival meeting that Tommy doubled his score, doing 7st on 5/1 favourite Bunclody Tiger, owned by Andy Redmond and trained by Kevin Bell. The first signs of weight problems that would dictate a change of codes probably cost Tameric and Tommy the Naas November Handicap, narrowly beaten with 4lb overweight at 7st 7lb.

In 1973 Tommy divided the Irish apprentice honours with Declan Gillespie. Having set a new Irish record with 36 winners in 1974, Tommy completed his outright hat-trick in 1976. His success, augmented by Mick Kinane, Stephen Craine and Pat Gilson, saw Liam Browne acknowledged as the master craftsman in producing successful apprentices, the Irish equivalent to ‘Frenchie’ Nicholson and Reg Hollinshead in England as supreme mentors.

While Liam did not set out to train jumpers, Mr Kildare, ridden by Tommy to win consecutive Leopardstown November Handicaps, was put to hurdling. That bore fruit at the 1978 Cheltenham Festival, where Tommy rode him to victory in the Champion Novices’ Hurdle. Tommy had already opened his Cheltenham scoresheet on Hilly Way, successful in the Champion Chase for Clane trainer Peter McCreery. The fact that Tommy had made no concession to his change of codes in continuing to ride at flat-race length caused criticism, at least until success justified that defiance of the perceived laws of gravity.

That same year, legendary gambler, Barney Curley persuaded Tommy to transfer to north Yorkshire to ride his horses trained by Tony Dickinson. Tommy recalls being well received by the Dickinson family, if not by his new colleagues in the weigh room. Describing the Dickinson horses as “simply different class,” Tommy adopted the policy of winning by the minimum margins, a tactic much easier to exercise when one’s horses are so superior.

Not once, but twice did Galmoy and Tommy Carmody save the Irish from a Cheltenham Festival whitewash, successful in the Stayers’ Hurdle in 1987 – he is pictured here being led into the winner’s enclosure afterwards - and 1988

Dawn Run (left, with Tony Mullins in the saddle) defeating Buck House and Carmody over the Champion Chase winner’s favourite two-mile trip in the famous match at Punchestown in 1986 convinced the beaten jockey that ‘The Mare’ was the greatest NH horse he had seen, and will ever see

Gay Spartan provided a belated Christmas present when carrying off the King George VI Chase at Kempton Park. Tommy repeated that Christmas feat in 1979 on Silver Buck, a “spooky bastard”. Ridden out every day by Tony Dickinson’s wife Monica, Silver Buck would shy at every opportunity. For all that, he and Tommy went through that 1979-80 season unbeaten in seven races in the colours of Mrs C Feather. Tommy remembers her under her earlier married name, as the mother of successful Newmarket trainer William Haggas.

Silver Buck may have dodged Cheltenham in March, but Slaney Idol, trained by Tommy’s old master Liam Browne, provided him with a narrow victory in the opening Waterford Crystal Supreme Novices’ Hurdle, by a neck from Daring Run and Ted Walsh.

For the 1980-81 campaign Tony Dickinson stood down in favour of his son Michael, for whom Tommy rode Silver Buck to complete a personal hat-trick of King George VI Chase successes. The partnership went on to finish third in the Cheltenham Gold Cup to Little Owl and Night Nurse. At the season’s end Tommy returned to County Kildare to take his chances as a freelance. That strategy paid dividends. He rode Strathline to win the Galway Hurdle for Dermot Weld in 1985 en route to being crowned Irish champion NH jockey with 58 winners.

The following year, Tommy was successful on Buck House in the Champion Chase for Tipperary trainer Mouse Morris. Twenty-four hours later Cheltenham witnessed scenes of jubilation and hysteria when Dawn Run rallied with indomitable character to justify favouritism in the Gold Cup under Jonjo O’Neill for trainer Paddy Mullins. In doing so Dawn Run became the only animal ever to complete the Champion Hurdle – Gold Cup double.

A match was arranged for both Cheltenham stars at Punchestown. Tommy reckons Buck House the best he ever rode over fences. At two miles and at level weights he really fancied his chances. Reunited with Tony Mullins, Dawn Run held Buck House at bay by two lengths. Tommy has no hesitation: “She was the best I have ever seen. There will not be better in my lifetime.”

Within weeks both Buck House and Dawn Run were dead.

Tommy headed the Irish jump jockeys’ table again in 1988. Among his 42 winners was notably Haepenny Well in the Power Gold Cup at Fairyhouse for trainer Gillian O’Brien. The following year brought tragedy.

“I was off riding in the north. When I got home there were cars everywhere. I was met by John Mulhern. ‘Is it Tina?’ I asked.” No, Tommy’s wife was unharmed. But their nine-year-old son, Thomas, had been killed instantly when the boy and the pony he was riding had been struck by a truck on the road.

“He had God-given hands on a pony,” was Tommy’s wistful tribute to his only son and brother to Joanne, now mother of Tommy’s granddaughter, Elsie.

Tommy’s riding career was halted by a fall off Monks Delight in a novice chase at Naas on January 4, 1992, that left him with little or no use of his left arm. In 1998 he took out his trainer’s licence, based in Pollardstown.

“Good owners, but never more than ten horses…”

Boosted by a filly that won twice at a Galway meeting, Tommy persevered until 2005. Persuaded to come back into harness by Johnny Murtagh, who was still in the forefront of Irish jockeys, Tommy held the licence on Johnny’s behalf for two years.

In 2012 they had recruited a new owner in Andrew Tinkler. He had transferred a draught of horses from England to the new Curragh establishment. Starting early, the team opened their score at Dundalk in February as Johnny rode Miss Mediator to win a maiden. Ursa Major did likewise at the same venue in April, the first of the son of Galileo’s four wins that year. Royal Diamond won at Leopardstown. King of Dudes won twice. All That Rules won up the north. Seventh Sign ran up his hat-trick, as did Hartside. Spirituality signed off that year with two wins. Eighteen winners, all down to Andrew Tinkler.

In that role Tommy became accredited as trainer of the Irish St Leger winner in 2012. Royal Diamond was a six-year-old gelding by King’s Best that had been beaten a neck in the rich Ebor Handicap at York by Frankie Dettori on Willing Foe.

For all that, Royal Diamond and Niall McCullagh went off at 16/1 to beat eight rivals in the Gain Feeds Irish St Leger. It was a fitting highlight before Murtagh eventually retired from riding and took over the licence.

Living nowadays in Monasterevan, Tommy and I often meet in Fitzpatrick’s service station. He still smiles at the memory of Balgaddy. He rode him to win the Greenlands over five at the Curragh and then the Huzzar Hurdle at Fairyhouse in the late ‘70s for trainer Eddie Harty. Different times but great memories.