In an interview with the Guardian newspaper a few days ago, Irishman Paddy Brennan poured his heart out about an incident that happened a little over 12 months ago. Brennan and his horse, Cue Card, seemed to be on the verge of winning the Cheltenham’s Gold Cup, and then the unexpected happened – the man and his horse clattered to the grass, and his dream of the 1 million-pound prize went up in smoke.
It hasn’t always been like that for the Irishman
Growing up in County Galway, Brennan wanted nothing more than to become a county hurler. His entry into horse racing was as accidental as the few slip ups he has suffered on the race track. Brennan was so invested in hunt horses that his neighbor noticed his exceptional skill and advised him to try the trade. Taking the cue, the young Irishman started his apprenticeship with Jim Bolger. After a while, he became part of Paul Nicholls’s team 17 years ago.
Going professional
The 35-year-old has been around for quite a bit, and it is fair to say that his portfolio does not look particularly wanting. The 2004/05 season saw him become a champion conditional jockey. In 2006, while riding Shamayoun, he galloped his way to the Fred Winter Juvenile Novices’ Handicap Hurdle. 2007 saw him win the Ladbrokes World Hurdle while riding Inglis Drever. The Pertemps Final trophy came with Brennan astride Ballyfitz. He has also won the Bettfair Chase two times, 2015 and 2016.The victories have been attained with Imperial Commander and Cue Card respectively.
Brennan’s pay dirt
As of today, Brennan has rode the back of over 1,000 winners, so you can bet he keeps trotting to the bank. And if he plays his cards right this week, he will be able to obliterate the memories of that tumble 12 months ago-on the same horse too!