Trainer John Berry pays emotional tribute to 'exuberant' grey Roy Rocket

An emotional John Berry has hailed Roy Rocket as the horse closest to his heart following the Brighton specialist's death on Friday.

The trainer was still coming to terms with the sad news when he paid tribute to the popular grey, who became a cult hero thanks to his love affair with Brighton, where he won nine times.

He suffered a suspected heart attack when exercising on the gallops and Berry, fighting back the tears, said: "We were bowling along on the bridle and, after two furlongs, suddenly nothing was happening and I pulled him up quickly.

Watch Roy Rocket's last win at Brighton

"If you'd have said yesterday morning he or I would drop dead I'd have said it was more likely to be me. These things happen so infrequently – the last time it happened to me was in a point-to-point in 1986 and I've probably ridden 40,000 times since then.

"It was shocking when it happened, but the one consolation was he died so quickly, probably in 20 seconds and, even on his last day, he enjoyed every bit of it apart from that last 20 seconds, and it would have been as out of the blue for him as it was me.

"Once in a while a horse – like a human – just drops down dead. You knew it was going to happen at some point, but I just wish it was in 15 years."

Berry bred Roy Rocket after buying his dam Minnie's Mystery as a yearling and she was gifted back to him at the end of her 17-race career by Tony Le Brocq, for whom she raced successfully in Jersey.

"I probably hoped to breed a higher-class horse when I sent her to Layman, but I never dreamed I could get one so special," added Berry, who has an unbroken two-year-old filly out of the mare.

"I've been lucky I've been able to keep some of her offspring. Others I've sold, but thank God I kept Roy."

The 11-year-old was winless in his first three seasons but that all changed in April 2015 when he made his first visit to Brighton, where he recorded nine victories and two seconds from 31 starts.

"He went to Brighton as a spring five-year-old, won and we never looked back," added Berry.

"He was only a little horse and a lot of bigger horses don't handle the steep downhill section there, but he could cope fine and you often get fast ground at Brighton, which he loved.

Roy Rocket: relished the downhill run and undulations at BrightonCredit: Edward Whitaker

"He was always an exuberant horse and would pull too hard unless you put him to sleep at the back of the field, and Brighton is one of the few tracks – because of that downhill run – where you get strongly run races and horses can come from behind."

Berry, a respected member of the Newmarket training ranks since 1996, said: "It meant a massive amount how popular he was.

"If he'd won nine races at nine different courses it would have been wonderful, but winning them all at Brighton was lovely because it's a course, under normal circumstances, that has a really popular local following. It's always a lot of fun with a great atmosphere.

"The Racing Post and Sky Sports Racing picked up on it and gave him a lot of publicity, while Steve Jones wrote a lovely article about him in The Sun too. It meant so much he touched so many people. He loved the attention because he was such a friendly horse."

Roy Rocket: ran 31 times at his beloved BrightonCredit: Alan Crowhurst

Roy Rocket, who was owned by Berry and close friends Iris McCarthy and her daughter Larraine, was honoured alongside the mighty Enable at the Racehorse Owners Association awards in 2018 when he was recognised with a special achievement award on the Flat.

"Cue Card won the jumps version," said Berry. "While the other special thing was racing him with the McCarthy family. I trained for Iris's late husband and Larry's father Joe and I think the first horse they had with me was in 1998."

Berry has trained higher-rated horses than Roy Rocket, but added: "It's a bit like being asked to choose your favourite child, but I'd say he's the dearest."

Read more on the much-loved Roy Rocket:

Once, twice, six times at Brighton on journey from zero to cult hero

Roy Rocket: the white wonder who loves Brighton and happily rules Berry's yard (Members' Club)

Like poor old Roy Rocket, I'm missing home – Brighton can't return soon enough (Members' Club)

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