Jockey

For readers unfamiliar with the name, Brian Toomey is a former National Hunt jockey, who finally retired from the saddle on June 14, 2016, but has recently made headlines by passing the British Horseracing Authority (BHA) required to be granted a training licence. Toomey rode 49 winners under National Hunt Rules in Britain, but his story is all the more remarkable for the fact that, on July 4, 2013, he was pronounced clinically dead for six seconds and, at one point, was given just a 3% chance of survival. On that day, his mount, Solway Dandy, fell heavily at the third-last flight in a conditional jockeys’ handicap at Perth and Toomey suffered a horrific head injury, which caused him to lose consciousness.

Thankfully, the promising young jockey was resuscitated by paramedics, but his injuries were so severe that he could not be airlifted from the racecourse. All told, Toomey spent 157 days in hospital, the first two weeks in an induced coma, and required surgery to remove part of his skull to reduce the swelling on his brain. Miraculously, against all odds, he regained his licence 704 days later and briefly resumed his riding career, although he later reflected that ‘ trainers and owners were just a bit too worried to give me an opportunity’.

Fast forward a decade or so from that fateful day in the Scottish Lowlands and Toomey, 34, is preparing to train, under a dual-purpose licence, in Chalfont St. Giles, Buckinghamshire. He told the ‘Racing Post’, ‘I got in touch with [recently retired trainer] Martin [Bosley], who invited me to look at the yard. When I did, I was blown away. It’s something special.’ He added, ‘I know it’s going to be very tough, but I’m also very determined. I just hope I haven’t used up all my luck.’

In recent years, Jack Berry, 86, is probably best known for his indefatigable fundraising work in aid of the Injured Jockeys’ Fund, of which he is Vice President. Indeed, Berry was co-founder of the specialist independent charity, which provides financial and medical support to jockeys, past and present, way back in 1964. At that stage, he was, himself, an oft-injured journeyman National Hunt jockey but, following his retirement from the saddle in 1969, later established Moss Side Stables in Cockerham, near Morecambe, Lancashire, where he would make his name as a trainer.

Instantly recognisable on the racecourse in his customary red shirt, Berry regularly saddled 100 winners a season in the nineties, including five years in a row between 1990 and 1994 and, according to the ‘Racing Post’, achieved his highest seasonal tally, 140, in 1991. Nevertheless, after achieving his fifth consecutive century, Berry told the ‘Independent’, ‘I’m not particularly bothered about beating my best. If I can keep knocking in 100 every year, I’ll be happy. It takes a bit of doing and there are always a few heartaches and traumas along the way.’

Berry developed a reputation as a trainer of speedy two-year-olds and older sprinters. Among his stable stars down the years were So Careful, who won the Ayr Gold Cup in 1988, Paris House, who won the Flying Childers Stakes in 1991 and the Temple Stakes in 1993 and Mind Games, who won back-to-back renewals of the Temple Stakes in 1995 and 1996. He was awarded an MBE in the Birthday Honours List and, since his retirement from the training ranks at the end of the 1999 Flat season, has continued to pioneer for the Injured Jockeys’ Fund. In fact, the construction of two of the three rehabilitation and fitness centres currently run by the Fund, namely Oaksey House in Lambourn an Jack Berry House in Malton, was largely due to his foresight.

Formerly a successful point-to-point jockey, Tom Cannon rode his first winner under rules, Days Of Pleasure, trained by Chris Gordon, in a handicap hurdle at Fontwell on March 10, 2010. With the backing of Gordon, to whom he remains eternally grateful, he made rapid progress through the ranks and, in 2014/15, rode a then career-best 52 winners. Immediately prior to the start of the 2016/17 season, Cannon was appointed second jockey to Alan King Barbury Castle Stables in Wroughton, near Swindon, Wiltshire. He rode his first winner for the yard, Tyrell, in a juvenile hurdle at Warwick.

In 2019, following the retirement of Wayne Hutchinson, Cannon landed his ‘dream job’ as stable jockey at Barbury Castle and has continued to thrive ever since. In 2021/22, he enjoyed his most successful so far, numerically and fiscally, with 74 winners from 430 rides, at a strike rate of 17%, and just over £1 million in prize money. His seasonal tally included two Grade 1 wins, both on Edwardstone, in the Henry VIII Novices’ Chase at Sandown Park in December and the Arkle Challenge Trophy at the Cheltenham Festival the following March.

All told, at the time of writing, Cannon has a total of 22 Graded and Listed wins to his name, to most recent of which coming on Telepathique, trained by Lucy Wadham, in the Lady Protectress Mares’ Chase at Huntingdon on February 6, 2025. In 2024/25, he has ridden 34 winners from 251 rides and currently lies joint-twentieth in the National Hunt Jockeys’ Championship.

A former point-to-point rider from Galashiels in the Scottish Borders, Ryan Mania has endured a start-stop-start career as a professional jockey, but will always be best remembered for winning the Grand National on 66/1 outsider Auroras Encore, trained by Sue Smith, in 2013. Mania rode his first winners under rules for Midlothian trainer Peter Monteith in 2008, but his career was interrupted for a six months when, in 2011, his former employer, Howard Johnson, retired after being given a four-year ban by the British Horseracing Authority (BHA).

Having won the Grand National at the first attempt, Mania went on to enjoy his most prolific season ever in 2013/14, with 53 winners, but in November 2014 announced his retirement from the saddle at the age of 24. He cited ongoing weight problems as the main reason for his decision and told the Yorkshire Post, “I’m not being fair to myself if I carry on being miserable.” During his second sabbatical, which would last until 2019/2020, he worked as kennel huntsman at the Braes of Derwent Hunt in Northumberland and, for a spell, as assistant to Berwickshire trainer Sandy Thomson.

Nevertheless, with the encouragement of his agent, Bruce Jeffrey, Mania returned to race riding for Sue Smith in October 2019. He enjoyed his most successful season since his return in 2020/21, when he rode 43 winners, including his first Cheltenham Festival winner, Vintage Clouds, in the Ultima Handicap Chase. In his career as a whole, Mania has seven Graded and Listed wins to his name.