- This topic has 39 replies, 21 voices, and was last updated 8 years, 12 months ago by
.
-
Posts
-
Incredible how one so brilliant in the saddle couldn’t transfer those big times to the Training ranks.Pat was an enigma,he came across as quite an ignorant character on the Racecourse and yet was the life and soul of the party off it.I was lucky enough to be a total obsessive to the Khaled Abdulla horses of the 80’s and 90’s and Pat was retained rider for those brilliant years.I still slate him for getting beat on Bellotto in the 2000gns but forgave him the day he landed my biggest priced Ante-Post Derby winner in Quest for Fame at 50/1.Pats life wasn’t unlike Sir Henrys,both enjoyed the good times to the full,Women included but both fell from grace big time,sadly Pat never got the chance to rise again like his old Boss.I rated him the best jockey to have in a finish but Steve Cauthen could steal a lead from Pat and he’d be forever trying to reel the lost ground in and failing behind the Yank, that frustrated him.Sad day but one to reflect on his brilliance and his best ever ride was on Dancing Brave in the Arc,a day I will never forget.RIP Pat you were a true Racing legend.
Not going to disagree with you TAPK on a sad night like tonight and agree he was a true legend.
At a later date, I would be interested to discuss any races that you think Cauthen “pinched” from Pat, as it is inevitable that a perfect hold up ride, even if it fails, is perceived as jockey error, rather than a lead ride (as long as not ridden as a scalded cat) is inevitably greeted by a simply not good enough rating.
Still cannot forget the Cauthen ride on Miesque myself as an example of what appeared to resemble a NH amateur jockey in a finish.Very shocked to hear the news. One of the all time greats. So many great memories but my favourite will always be the day he rode Bosra Sham to beat Halling in the ’96 Champion. I have never heard a roar like the one from the crowd that day. RIP Pat.
Here you go… https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f9IU0TveHyM …1996 Dubai Champion Stakes
I was fourteen at the time, but still recall Pat Eddery being interviewed after the race and saying ‘There’s not a horse in the world that could give her eight pounds’. I still have yet to see a better looking filly.
This guy is a machine. All he does is work out and pick winners. Talk about fit. You should see him without his shirt off, serious side of beef.
Very sad news.
The tributes on this thread say it all.
RIP Pat Eddery.
Things turn out best for those who make the best of how things turn out...Very shocked to hear the news. One of the all time greats. So many great memories but my favourite will always be the day he rode Bosra Sham to beat Halling in the ’96 Champion. I have never heard a roar like the one from the crowd that day. RIP Pat.
Here you go… https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f9IU0TveHyM …1996 Dubai Champion Stakes
I was fourteen at the time, but still recall Pat Eddery being interviewed after the race and saying ‘There’s not a horse in the world that could give her eight pounds’. I still have yet to see a better looking filly.
That crowd reception was in part due to the rather public fallout at the end of the previous season between Sir Henry and Sheikh Mo over issues with Mark of Esteem, which resulted in him removing all of his horses from Sir Henry before the start of the season. I remember Sheikh Mo did the trophy presentations and when Sir Henry received his trainers one I think it was a silver daggar (or something similar) and Sheikh Mo jokingly held up his hands in a ‘don’t use it on me’ type manner.
I always felt that had Eddery retained the ride on her the following year he wouldn’t have gotten her into all the trouble Fallon did in that Eclipse.
RIP indeed, some great memories above.
First thing which springs to my mind is a little lower profile, but I still can’t believe a 51yo Eddery got Reel Buddy up in the Sussex.
I have hired the ENIGMA machine and even that cannot make sense of it.
BUY THE SUN
Searingly honest interview with his daughter on the Beeb. Very sad.
I did not realise the bottle was sucking the life from him. It doesn’t care if you are a vagrant or a retired elite sportsman, which Eddery certainly was.
I’ve been there myself unfortunately with my own father.
BUY THE SUN
There’s some pretty dreadful photos on Google Images of him taken at Kempton a couple of years ago if anyone needs reminding what alcoholism can do to you
Sadly, just another sportsman who couldn’t really function in civvy street
Just as an example, its amazing to me the words ‘alcohol’, ‘alcoholic’, or ‘alcoholism’ have not been mentioned on this thread until just now.
Just shows how taboo Alcohol dependency still remain. It beat my dad to death literally. It nearly beat me, but thanks to my own daughters support (a shameful thing for me to admit, to put my own child through that) I am now 14 months dry. Amazing how many things in life you rediscover that Alcohol has basically swallowed up.
BUY THE SUN
Can’t say I am surprised to hear that he had issues wiith drink as the redness around the nose and cheeks are obvious signs of an alcohol problem and you only have to look at the front page picture of him on Wednesday’s Racing Post that shows those markings clearly – I believe I read somewhere that his own father also had the same problems before he passed.
Sad that we have also not heard anything from his brother Paul on his passing but I understand that there was a falling out between the two a few years back over an unfair dismissal case that went through a tribunal hearing. It would appear that they may not have ever reconciled from that time, which makes this all the more sadder really.
I think plenty were aware of Eddery’s demons TTC and the mess he’d made of his domestic life but that a thread dedicated to reflections on news of his death wasn’t an appropriate one on which to dwell on its cause
Glad you conquered the demon: opposing odds-on shots does sometimes pay
a thread dedicated to reflections on news of his death wasn’t an appropriate one on which to dwell on its cause
Fair comment.
BUY THE SUN
a thread dedicated to reflections on news of his death wasn’t an appropriate one on which to dwell on its cause
Fair comment.
Well without sounding morbid and because I’m a realist I honestly thought he’d killed himself.I saw him at Doncaster recently and he looked dreadful.Well played ‘Peruvian’ for beating the Demons of drink.I have a glass of wine most nights but wouldn’t thank you for one at 7am…I much prefer a cup of Assam Tea then but all of us on here have the potential to become addicted to something and if a psychiatrist analyzed me he’d say I was a compulsive Gambler as a 17yo I’m sure..Scarey but we all look over the edge at times,its knowing not to fall into the black hole of despair that keeps us going.That old adage of ‘you can look but dont touch’ really does apply to mental health if you can handle it.
Sad news indeed .
A bookmaker friend of mine ( now retired ) was forever singing the praises of Pat Eddery :
” the finest jockey ever to sit on a racehorse ” ; he’d say . A line I’d hear repeated
whenever the name of Pat Eddery ever entered our conversations.Like most of you , I hold Pat Eddery ( jockey ) in the highest esteem ; I did not
know him personally , so will refrain from judging the man .I remember his short , yet fruitful association , with Peter Walwyn ; his never to be forgotten partnership
with that great little chestnut , Grundy , and not forgetting Polygamy , a very good Oaks winner .
Jeremy Tree’s Sharpo : Eddery’s superb handling of the great soft ground specialist champion sprinter .The Vincent O’Brien years : El Gran Senor, Caerleon , Sadler’s Wells and the oft forgetton potential superstar, Golden Fleece.We all know of the outstanding ride he gave the superbly talented Dancing Brave – how can we forget.
For me , though , it was aboard his first Arc winner that I shall be most thankful to Pat Eddery .
I had backed Detroit ante-post for the 198O Arc , but closer to the big day my confidence
was waning , as the word from France was that the previous year’s winner , Three Troika’s ( who had seen off Troy )
was in excellent form and Freddy Head wouldn’t hear of defeat – until Pat Eddery , in his own distinctive, quiet way ,
told the racing press that he was confident in Detroit’s chances and wouldn’t swap her for anything.
That was good enough for me – and come the big day , Pat delivered her on the outside with that inimitable style of his , getting up to defeat the reigning champ close home.A brilliant jockey . One of the best of all time.
RIP Pat Eddery
Gambling Only Pays When You're Winning
Thanks TAPK for the kind words.
Drone – on reflection I wish to withdraw my comment agreeing with your post.
The more people read what a nightmare alcoholism is, the more chance perhaps someone could escape it.
I very much doubt Mr. Eddery,s family would disagree.
BUY THE SUN
Thanks TAPK for the kind words.
Drone – on reflection I wish to withdraw my comment agreeing with your post.
The more people read what a nightmare alcoholism is, the more chance perhaps someone could escape it.
I very much doubt Mr. Eddery,s family would disagree.
I have huge respect for lifes survivors PC,sadly it takes far more than medicine to pull some from the edge and inevitably some succumb to their addiction paying the ultimate price..Life can be so cruel even to those we lesser mortals admire.Pat Edderys death epitomises just that,he had everything to live for but let his demons ruin friendships,family ties and even himself.Addiction kills but the bottom line is we allow ourselves to be consumed by it and only we ourselves can beat it..Easier said than done.
Well without sounding morbid and because I’m a realist I honestly thought he’d killed himself
That’s what Doug Smith did.
His own story of being a highly respected and liked multiple champion jockey who then took to the bottle after starting training, is sadly very much like that of Pat Eddery’s.
Thanks TAPK for the kind words.
Drone – on reflection I wish to withdraw my comment agreeing with your post.
The more people read what a nightmare alcoholism is, the more chance perhaps someone could escape it.
I very much doubt Mr. Eddery,s family would disagree.
I’m all for openness about alcoholism and mental illness in general. I was just pointing out that if the posters who made the early contributions were aware of Eddery’s problems – and I’m sure at least several were, as I was and I’m not at all close to the ‘racing village’ – then perhaps, rightly in my view, they didn’t refer to it in their eulogies, as eulogies are essentially a thank you to someone who was admired. Once his family chose to make his illness public the public are at liberty to discuss it without worrying they’re causing offence
It is strange that of all the myriad drug addictions the one with the biggest taboo is caused by the ‘legal high’ alcohol. Perhaps it is taboo because the majority (not a particularly big majority in truth) who use it do so sensibly without risking addiction and those that do become addicted think themselves weak, out of control and hence lesser mortals
Terminal alcoholism takes decades of over-indulgence to occur and those ghastly photos of Pat Eddery I referred to earlier could not possibly be the result of chronic consumption in only the years since he retired in 2003. Did he struggle with his weight when a jockey? I didn’t think so but if he did and was forced to fast frequently then he’s certainly not the first jockey to use alcohol to ‘treat’ hunger pangs. Steve Cauthen, for one, nearly fell into the dark abyss from which few return
- You must be logged in to reply to this topic.