'I'm proud of myself for not giving up' - new trainer Brian Toomey off the mark at Kempton

Brian Toomey added successful trainer to his list of accomplishments after Wake Up Harry scored at Kempton on Wednesday evening.

Toomey rode 49 winners over jumps before suffering horrific injuries in a fall at Perth in 2013, which briefly left him clinically dead, and he was striking with just his fourth runner after he was granted a licence only last month.

"It was incredible – I don't know if it's sunk in yet," he said on Thursday morning. "It was Kempton at half eight on a Wednesday night so I wasn't swamped by racegoers, but my goal was to run horses in their grade and it was a suitable race for him.

"Training is everything I ever wanted to do. I love trying to get the best out of horses and having individual programmes for each one, keeping up with their feed and focusing on the little things – they're key and that's why the horse ran the way he did."

Toomey trains a select string at Bowstridge Farm in Buckinghamshire, including Remarkable Force for the powerful Amo Racing team and Wake Up Harry for decorated former football manager Harry Redknapp, who has been a significant supporter of the trainer in the formative stages of his career.

"Harry's been to view my yard and invited me down to his house, he's been unbelievable," Toomey said. "He's always given advice and said he'd have a horse for me. He said 'if this is your dream don't give up on it and chase it'. It gives me a bit more drive with someone like him saying that.

"I don't come from a racing background and I've made all of these contacts myself, probably through a bit of annoyance, and I've just kept at it. I'm proud of myself in the sense that I haven't given up. I've assured these people that I'll put everything into getting the best out of their horses."

Wake Up Harry was a convincing two-length winner of the 7f handicap under Callum Shepherd, beating the 11-4 favourite Vitalline, and the trainer put the victory down to the special effort taken to get him settled in new surroundings.

"He only arrived nine days before he ran for me the first time and he hadn't settled in," he said. "I'd spent the last few weeks focusing on his mind, getting him to do things without really asking him and turning him into a happy horse."

Toomey is operating in an environment which has seen several trainers quit or retire in the last 12 months and while he is not one to set targets, he is confident he can make a success out of his latest enterprise.

"Business is very good and I'm in a beautiful part of the country," he said. "The family that owns the yard are very supportive and last night was a bit of excitement for them, they were downstairs with the champagne, so they got a kick out of it as well. Hopefully it will open up a few more doors."

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