- More
Paddy Brennan and Fergal O'Brien: meet a reformed 'psycho' and a 'lucky' trainer
Peter Thomas catches up with the in-form duo making waves in the Cotswolds
In the era of Trump, Covid and snow in the Sahara, few things in life retain the ability to shock, but the news that Paddy Brennan is acting as a guru and role model to young riders still sets a tiny alarm bell ringing in the back of the head. It's a bit like finding out Jacob Rees-Mogg has resigned as MP for North East Somerset to become editor of Viz magazine.
This, after all, is the jockey formerly known as 'Psycho'. Back in the day, you'd have been more likely to find him smoking behind the bike sheds than teaching trigonometry to 3B, but if this morning is anything to go by those hotheaded times are well and truly behind him.
At Fergal O'Brien's Ravenswell Farm stables, second lot is trooping off the uphill gallop, and although everyone in the string is equal in this modern racing environment, Brennan's clearly a bit more equal than the others. It may have something to do with the 1,300 winners, or the Gold Cup on Imperial Commander, the King George on Cue Card and all manner of other Graded successes racked up in a 20-year career, but today he's the king bee at the heart of a buzzing hive of ambitious young riders.
Read the full story
Read award-winning journalism from the best writers in racing, with exclusive news, interviews, columns, investigations, stable tours and subscriber-only emails.
Subscribe to unlock
- Racing Post digital newspaper (worth over £100 per month)
- Award-winning journalism from the best writers in racing
- Expert tips from the likes of Tom Segal and Paul Kealy
- Replays and results analysis from all UK and Irish racecourses
- Form study tools including the Pro Card and Horse Tracker
- Extensive archive of statistics covering horses, trainers, jockeys, owners, pedigree and sales data
Already a subscriber?Log in
Published on inInterviews
Last updated
Copy- It's been a quarter of a century since we started - here's how we've seen the sport we love change
- 'You can see why people end up struggling - when you're trying to pay the electric bill, losing one ride can be massive'
- 'I've never paid six figures for a horse and never will - I learned pretty quickly you're only one phone call away from f*** all'
- 'I’ve trained some fabulous horses, worked with some excellent riders - maybe I have brought a little bit of talent to the table as well'
- ‘When you’re in the moment and you’re starved, you’re ready to explode - everything built up and I just lost my s**t’
- It's been a quarter of a century since we started - here's how we've seen the sport we love change
- 'You can see why people end up struggling - when you're trying to pay the electric bill, losing one ride can be massive'
- 'I've never paid six figures for a horse and never will - I learned pretty quickly you're only one phone call away from f*** all'
- 'I’ve trained some fabulous horses, worked with some excellent riders - maybe I have brought a little bit of talent to the table as well'
- ‘When you’re in the moment and you’re starved, you’re ready to explode - everything built up and I just lost my s**t’