Galway jockey Fahy springs 40/1 upset in English handicap
Date Published: {J}
FRANK FARRAGHER
THEY’RE riding high out Ballyglunin way these times . . . last month Tom Ryan guided home the winner of the Australian Grand National and last Saturday, his nephew John Fahy, took the honours at Newmarket, on the stirrups of Prince of Johanne in the prestigious Cambridgeshire.
What a double it would have been for the punters with Tom Ryan’s, Man of Class a 93/1 (tote) winner while Tom Tate’s Prince of Johanne romped home on the rails at odds of 40/1, but apparently owner David Storey, ironically a professional gambler, ‘hadn’t a bob’ on the horse.
A son of Murt and Mary Fahy (Tom Ryan’s sister), 20-year-old John Fahy was thrilled with the biggest success of his career and he is now just five wins away from losing his 3lb. claim and bidding farewell to his apprenticeship days.
“It was a great win for me and it really was wonderful for my family and friends back home in Laragh, Ballyglunin. In this racing game, there is no time for celebration – it’s just onto the next meeting,” Fahy told Tribune Sport on Wednesday as he made his way to the meeting in Nottingham.
“There’s always a big field at the Cambridgeshire and a lot depends on the draw. I didn’t have the best of a draw but I stayed by the rail and Prince of Johanne really took off for me over the final two furlongs. He won it really well in the end,” said Fahy.
Drawn 31 out of 32 runners, John Fahy stuck to the rails on Prince of Johanne and really took off over the final quarter of the one mile, one furlong flat handicap race which carried a first prize of £77,000 (sterling).
The Cambridgeshire is one of the most historical flat handicap races in Britain, dating back to 1839, and is considered a sister event of the Cesarewitch – the race traditionally attracts a huge field (maximum 35 runners).
John’s mother Mary, told Tribune Sport, that she had no bet on the horse, although some of the locals who call into Mattie Ryan’s pub in Laragh, did have a few small bets on Prince of Johanne.
“Listen it’s great when jockeys like John ride a winner but in horseracing there’s a lot of ups and downs, so I suppose you have to enjoy the good times. I didn’t see the race until later on Saturday but it was a great thrill for all of us,” said Mary.
Fahy started riding out with his uncle David Ryan at his stables in Ballinderry, Corofin, and went on to take the RACE training course at the Curragh at 15 before moving on to the John Oxx stables.
He was apprentice of the year during his Curragh days before moving to England two and a half years ago. Last year, he was second in the English apprentice jockey championship and is now riding for the Clive Cox stables at Lambourn Downs, Berkshire, in the South Midlands.