Saturday, September 3, 2022 was the day that the cruellest of tragedies struck the De Bromhead family.
Aged just 13, Jack de Bromhead was already known to many racing fans as the charismatic son of leading trainer Henry. He was also a promising pony rider.
But that afternoon, while taking part in the renowned Glenbeigh Festival at Rossbeigh beach, Co Kerry, the youngster was killed in a freak fall. Hundreds attended the funeral in Waterford, where Henry carried his son’s coffin.
And so, to say that the National Hunt season began under a cloud would be an understatement in the extreme. Training winners cannot have been anything like at the forefront of De Bromhead’s mind, though he saddled two of them when returning to a racecourse for the first time at Thurles a month-and-a-half later, thanking friends and rivals for their support.
De Bromhead has always been a hugely popular figure within the sport. The Irishman had a season of all seasons in 2021, when enjoying a sensational Cheltenham Festival, training six winners, including an unprecedented holy trinity of Champion Hurdle, Champion Chase and Gold Cup heroes.
His partnership with Rachael Blackmore helped the rider become the first woman to be top jockey at the meeting, and the following month the pair combined again for Grand National success with Minella Times.
That horse was retired last month after a setback while being readied for a tilt at Aintree, and preparations for Cheltenham have not been smooth, either.
A Plus Tard, whose Gold Cup win last year was one of the most impressive in recent memory, was pulled up on his only start since. Bob Olinger, a dual Festival winner, does not have an entry this time after a string of poor runs. Envoi Allen, who lines up in tomorrow’s Ryanair Chase, won an early-season Grade 1 but then flopped in the King George.
Wondermare Honeysuckle lost her career unbeaten record at Fairyhouse in November and finished second on what might have been a farewell run at Leopardstown in February.
Instead, connections tweaked plans and yesterday’s sensational Mares’ Hurdle victory provided one of the most emotional Festival moments of recent times. And there could be another to come.
The Jack de Bromhead Mares Novices’ Hurdle tomorrow has been renamed in a fine gesture from Michael O’Leary, the Ryanair chief who sponsors the race and has numerous horses in training with De Bromhead.
In Magical Zoe, De Bromhead may have just the one to deliver a most poignant success.
