Eddery, Pat

By the end of that season, he had ridden twenty-three winners (nine for Major Pope) and stood fourth in the apprentices' table.

Pat's first big winner and first Royal Ascot success came that June on Sky Rocket in the Wokingham. It was Pat who suggested to Major Pope that, as he had been drawn one, he should bounce Sky Rocket out and try to make all the running.

They won by three-quarters of a length at 20/1.

Pat then turned his attention to his lodgings. He had spent eighteen months in a room at Cheltenham but, through a friend, managed to find better lodgings in a council house in Prestbury. He was approaching his eighteenth birthday and, having just bought his first car, had the racing world at his feet.

So well did Pat get on with his Prestbury landlords, an old couple called George & Ann Wilson and so well did they treat him that when, after four years, Pat was in a position to buy his own, much larger, property next to Frenchie's stables, he asked them to move in with him, which they did. For fifteen years, Ann was his housekeeper: tragically George - on the very day the couple moved in - dropped dead in the kitchen from a heart attack.

Pat finished his apprenticeship with Nicholson in September, 1972, but continued to ride out for him: such was the bond between the two that Nicholson eventually became Pat's manager.

Doing well on the racecourse, Pat treated himself to a brand new Mercedes. Driving with the exuberance of youth, he quickly picked up two six-month bans for speeding. Then, trying to catch a plane to Germany, he was caught speeding again: this time the ban was for a year.

At this time, he also began having trouble on the racecourse: his win at any cost approach earned him quite a few suspensions and no little number of enemies in the changing room.

He rode fifty-seven winners in 1970, his third full season. Ian Balding's apprentice, Philip Waldron, rode fifty-nine.

The highlight had come on August 22 at Haydock when he became the first apprentice to ride five winners on a card.

That October, Pat lost his right to claim and began competing with the top jockeys on level terms.

In 1971, from a total of 655 rides, came seventy-one winners and, at last, the apprentice title.

In 1972, Pat took his first ride in the Derby. Aboard Pentland Firth, he tried, as agreed, to make all the running but was swept aside by Roberto and Rheingold in the last furlong but clung on to finish third. 

His luck changed in that year's Ascot Gold Cup: though chinned on the line by Rock Roi, the stewards rapidly reversed the placings, giving Pat's mount, Erimo Hawk, the race.

At that time, the most converted job in flat racing was being stable jockey to Lambourn trainer Peter Walwyn. Duncan Keith then was in situ, but, because of weight problems, was forced to give up. Pat was approached and readily took the job.

He spent the next eight years with Walwyn which he said after were among the happiest of his career.

Walwyn proved to be a fantastically loyal trainer to his jockeys. When Pat was beaten on Buckskin in the Ascot Gold Cup, its owner, multi-millionaire Daniel Wildenstein - whose horse were cleaning up all the big races in the 70s - told Walwyn that he didn't want Pat to ride any more of his horses. Walwyn's  immediately told Widerstein to take all of his horses away. Which he did.

Pat became champion jockey for the first time in only his second season (1974) at Seven Barrows (Walwyns' yard). He'd finished his first season there (1973) with 119 winners, coming third in the jockeys' table behind Carson and Piggott.

1974 was also the year Pat rode his first classic winner, Oaks' heroine Polygamy.

Pat also won the Dewhurst Stakes on a horse which had been bought at the Newmarket Yearling Sales for £11,000.

It's name was Grundy.

Throughout that winter, Grundy remained the clear favourite for the 1975 2,000 Guineas.

Then, in mid-March, came near disaster.

One morning at exercise, a horse called Corby lashed out, catching Grundy full in the face. Grundy bled profusely. Given time to recover, or so it was thought, Walwyn aimed the horse at the Greenham Stakes at Newbury. Grundy was beaten by Mark Anthony.

That year the stable lads were in a pay dispute and set out to wreck 2,000 Guineas day. Willie Carson was even pulled off his horse by militant lads.

Once again, Grundy was beaten, this time by Bolkonski, Henry Cecil's 33/1 shot.

It was a different story in the Derby: for the first time the racing public saw the real Grundy as he won by five lengths. It was Pat's first victory in the race.

Then came the epic battle with Bustino in the King George.

Pat got to Bustino's a furlong out and tried to pass. Bustino was having none of it, refusing to concede the lead. At the line there was just a neck in it, Grundy just prevailing.

Neither horse ever won another race. Grundy eventually went to stud where he proved to be a complete failure, much to the devastation of its buyers.

Pat began a winter routine of riding in Hong Kong: he'd fly out a day after the English flat season finished and would be riding at Happy Valley within a week.

At the end of 1977, still only 25 years old, Pat had been champion jockey four years in succession. Things were going well. Then, in 1978, Seven Barrows was hit, and hit hard, by the dreaded equine virus.

Consequently, many owners pulled their horses out of the yard: when eventually the virus lifted, it was a different ball game, and Walwyn's great days were never recaptured.

In 1980, Pat rode his first Prix de L'Arc de Triomphe winner, Detroit. This was also the year in which he left Peter Walwyn. 

An offer from Vincent O'Brien was too could to miss, and Pat succeeded Piggott as stable jockey.

The following year, not only was he the champion jockey of Ireland, but also the jockey on board English Derby winner, Golden Fleece.

Then at the top of the tree, Pat proved unstoppable in the big races: he won the 1983 Arlington Million in America on Tolomeo, 1984 Irish Derby (El Gran Senor), the Prix de L'Arc de Triomphe in 1985 (Rainbow Quest), 1986 (Dancing Brave) and 1987 (Trempolino).

In 1990, he again won the English Derby (Quest For Fame) and the French Derby (Sanglamore). That year he also rode 209 winners, the first jockey since Sir Gordon Richards to reach a double century.

On July 22, 1991, he achieved the fastest ever 3,000 winners in British Turf history.

After 37 years of relentless achievement, Pat took his final mount, the odds-on Gamut, at Doncaster on Saturday, November 8, 2003.

Sadly, Gamut had not read the script, and was beaten.

Pat was born on March 18, 1952 on the outskirts of The Curragh racecourse, south of Dublin. Of twelve surviving children, Pat was the fifth child.

18 months after his apprenticeship with Seamus McGrath had begun, Pat had his first ride. On board True Time at The Curragh in mid-August 1967, Pat finished last.

Apart from the odd 'Good Morning' or 'Well Done', Pat and Lester Piggott never spoke to each other.

On Tuesday, November 10, 2015, poor Pat died.

His family revealed afterwards that, tragically, he had succumbed to alcoholism.

He was 63.