Paul Eddery

Paul Eddery was born in County Kildare on July 14, 1963. Eleven years younger than his more famous brother Pat, he was apprenticed to Reg Hollinshead at Upper Longdon from 1979 until his indentures were transferred to Henry Cecil in 1983. That year he lost his right to claim, having ridden 75 winners against senior jockeys.

Cecil made Paul number two stable jockey behind, first, Lester Piggott then Steve Cauthen.

He won the 1982 Ayr Gold Cup on Famous Star, the 1983 Old Newton Cup on Regal Steel, and the 1983 Northumberland Plate on Weaver's Pin at 20/1, but already, under the enormous shadow cast by his elder brother, his career was beginning to falter.

When Joe Mercer retired as stable jockey to Peter Walwyn, the trainer offered the post to Paul, then still second jockey to Henry Cecil. Paul was very much a Newmarket jockey, and took a lot of persuading.

Eventually he agreed to join Walwyn and started off very well. He rode a big three-year-old colt called Mubaris quite beautifully to win a maiden at Newmarket, and a maiden at closing at York. He also won on Sperry at Royal Ascot.

Yet Walwyn found Paul a complex character with, he said, little of the charm of his brother, Pat. He also found him very chippy, and was not too displeased when Paul decided to go back to Newmarket.

Some time later, Pat's daughter, Natasha, contacted Paul saying she was worried about her father. Pat's wife, Carolyn, had left him at the end of 2008 and Pat 'had become depressed and was struggling to cope,'

Paul stepped in to help Pat run his 100 acre racing yard, and worked '24/7' for 13 months before being sacked in November 2009.

Paul immediately sued Pat but the judge threw the case out on a technicality. The brothers have never spoken to each other since.

Paul rode just 11 winners in 2009 and just 5 in his final season, 2010.

On 10 August 2003, Paul, then aged 40, arrived at Wolverhampton racecourse. It was here 24 years previously - when the track was still covered in grass - that he had ridden his first winner, Tufu.

That grass had now been replaced by an all-weather surface. Paul's knack of riding winners had also vanished.

Not only was this Paul's only ride at the meeting, it was the first of the week: he had, at the time, ridden no winners that season from 133 rides.

Paul had made a four-hour , 300 miles round trip from Newmarket to Wolverhampton for that one ride. He finished eighth of 13 runners. He would be paid £75.60 for his trouble.

'It's my longest run without a winner,' he conceded, but that's racing. I think I'm riding as well as ever. If I start riding winners, who knows what's round the corner.'

Undoubtedly, racing was in his blood.

Father Jimmy had been Irish Champion Jockey while his grandfather, Jack Moylan, had ridden Fly Mask, the runner-up in the 1924 Grand National.

All five of Paul's brothers had ridden on the Flat or over the jumps.

Paul came to England when aged 12 and rode out while he was still at school.

He has ridden in Australia, Mauritius, Malaysia, Germany, Hong Kong, Macu, Italy, Austria, Spain and India.

Worldwide he has accumulated over 1,000 winners.

Paul Eddery

Big winners

1982: Ayr Gold Cup – Famous Star

1983: Northumberland Plate – Weaver’s Pin

1985: Lockinge Stakes – Prismatic

1985: Windsor Castle Stakes – Atall Atall

1986: Cork and Orrery Stakes – Sperry

1987: Select Stakes – Most Welcome

1988: Palace House Stakes – Perion

1988: Falmouth Stakes – Inchmurrin

1988: Ebor Handicap – Kneller

1989: July Cup – Cadeaux Genereux

1992: Cheshire Oaks – Aquamarine

1994: Jersey Stakes – Gneiss (dead-heat)

1994: July Cup – Owington

1995: Queen Alexandra Stakes – Cuff Link

In Ireland

1989: Gallinule Stakes – Porter Rhodes

1990: Killavullan Stakes – Glowing Ardour