Pat Kelleher was born on November 17, 1945. He first appeared in the winner's circle after riding the 6/1 favourite Be Quick to victory at Yarmouth on Thursday, June 25, 1964.
Kelleher, attached to the stables of W. Wharton, challenged for the lead inside the final furlong and held on well for a short head victory.
Many good judges thought that they had seen a star of the future, especially when, at Catterick less than a month later, July 23, the 18-year-old apprentice rode two winners in the colours of Major Holliday.
The first leg of his double came in the Apprentice Handicap. Riding old friend Be Quick, he skillfully chose his ground when taking the horse away from the rails at the turn into the straight. For a few moments he looked likely to be shut in, but having found his opening, came right away from Sigirl to win by three lengths.
Later in the afternoon he showed admirable restraint on Take Heart in the mile and a half Grove Stakes by refusing to be alarmed when Eddie Hide set out to make all the running on Rosado and led him by by fully six lengths into the straight. He kept take heart well balanced and gradually made up his ground to catch the Malton filly inside the last furlong and beat her by two & a half lengths.
When, on August 31, Newmarket trainer W. Wharton saddled his thirtieth winner for Major Holliday at Birmingham, it was Kelleher who was once again in the saddle.
His riding performance drew this accolade from The Times. Under the banner headline 'Kelleher an apprentice with bright future' they wrote:
Kelleher's riding of Take Heart, on which he had previously won at Catterick and Nottingham, could in no way be faulted. Three furlongs from home, when Khoja Hafiz fell back, he was between Peter Robinson on Endless Honey and Stan Clayton on Nireus. With scarcely any room between these experienced jockeys, he sat still and rode the handsome little colt by Tamerlane home with his hands and heels to win by two short heads.
Kelleher goes to scale at 7 stone, does not look likely to put on weight and in the last two months has ridden six winners...
There are no figures available detailing Pat's career in the saddle though it would not be unfair to say that he failed to reached the heights predicted by his early promise. A journeyman jockey at worst, he continued to ride until 1983.
Pat's last ride came on Broon's Lady at Catterick on June 11 that year.
Pat, aged 61, died in 2007 from cancer.
Former colleague Lindsay Charnock said; 'I can't imagine anyone ever having a bad word to say about him. He never had a bad word to say about anyone else. It's sad that he's gone.
Another former weighing room friend, George Duffield said: 'He never had a bad bone in his body.'
Pat's funeral took place on May 17 at St Wifrid's Church, Hexham Street, Bishop Auckland.