An Interview with Johnson White, Assistant Trainer to Philip Hobbs
Racing might be in Johnson White’s blood but he still carved his own way in National Hunt. He was a decent amateur jockey and...
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Jo O'Neill
Sep 10, 20215 min read
An Interview with Ex-jockey Liam Cooper
At the beginning, Liam Cooper only had a loose connection to racing through his uncles, John and David Goulding, who were both good...
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Jo O'Neill
Sep 3, 20217 min read
An Interview with Monica Wakefield - Sea Pigeon's Groom
I met Monica Wakefield, nee Jones, when she visited Jackdaws Castle. Years had passed since she worked as a groom but she clearly...
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Jo O'Neill
Aug 28, 20216 min read
August 2021 Diary
The annual fortnight without any jump racing meant that August had been quiet for runners, but the yard had still been hectic due to many...
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Jo O'Neill
Aug 16, 20219 min read
An Interview with Anthea Leigh - Clerk of the Course
An Interview with Anthea Leigh – Clerk of the Course at Cartmel and Raceday Manager at York Anthea Leigh is the daughter of the late Gold...
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Jo O'Neill
Aug 10, 20217 min read
An Interview with Champion Gentleman Amateur Tommie O'Brien
Despite the disruptions caused by the coronavirus pandemic, amateur jockey Tommie O’Brien had a wonderful season, ending in winning the...
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Jo O'Neill
Aug 3, 20214 min read
An Interview with ex-jockey Conor Shoemark
It didn’t start with horses and racing for former jump jockey Conor Shoemark. In fact, it was pretty much every sport but riding. ‘I was...
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Jo O'Neill
Jul 27, 20218 min read
July Diary 2021
June ended with a double at Southwell with Knight Destroyer (K-Dog) and The Composer (Comp) both winning over fences. K-Dog is a yard...
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Jo O'Neill
Jul 20, 20215 min read
The Racing Life of Helen Donnelly
Helen Donnelly spent over twenty-five years working as a head of travelling for a number of trainers, including Jonjo O’Neill and Ferdy...
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Jo O'Neill
Jul 7, 20214 min read
An Interview with Racecourse Photographer John Grossick
There is a lot more to Grossick Racing Photography than racing photos. However, racing is a specialist part of the business that started...
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Jo O'Neill
Jun 30, 20216 min read
June Diary 2021
May slid into June with a torrent of nature. Blossom garnished trees, musky scented cow parsley grew tall, buttercups sprouted in swathes...
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Jo O'Neill
Jun 25, 20214 min read
An Interview with Jody Townend, Irish Champion Lady Amateur Jockey
Despite her focus initially being on showjumping, Jody Townend had such a terrific racing family pedigree, so perhaps it was inevitable...
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Jo O'Neill
Jun 16, 202112 min read
An Interview with Charlotte Clarke, Hostel Manager at Park House Stables
There are many unsung heroes working behind the scenes in racing yards but none more so than the hostel manager. Charlotte ‘Char’ Clarke...
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Jo O'Neill
Jun 9, 20218 min read
An Interview with Dominique Tortice - Union Learn Project Assistant at NARS
Dominique Tortice has spent her life in and around working in horseracing. Even in her present ‘office job’ she works for the National...
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Jo O'Neill
Jun 2, 20213 min read
An Interview with Work-Rider Steve Woolley
A former jockey, Steve Woolley has worked a lifetime in Flat racing. He’s the most experienced work-rider for Andrew Balding and has...
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Jo O'Neill
May 28, 20216 min read
May Diary 2021
May has had peculiar weather. A mixture of sunshine, rain, storms and hail. Spring disappeared as temperatures turned chilly. Most...
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Jo O'Neill
May 19, 202114 min read
An Interview with Kate Tracey
Kate Tracey grew up loving all sports but racing took the top spot and has become her job and life. After gaining a high grade at the...
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Jo O'Neill
May 12, 20214 min read
An Interview with Trainer Richard Phillips
Richard Phillips has over twenty years of experience of training racehorses and previously spent eight years as Henry Candy’s assistant....
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Jo O'Neill
May 6, 20214 min read
An Interview with Julia Mangan, an 'Almoner' of the IJF
Julia ‘Jules’ Mangan has always been witness to the harsher side of racing. She lost her beloved husband, the ex-jockey Roy Mangan in...
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Jo O'Neill
Apr 29, 20216 min read
April 2021 Diary
March ended on a positive note, with some of us having the first coronavirus vaccines, including our Romanian yardmen. It’s a long two...
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