A somewhat fortunate victory on 100-30 joint favourite Sunton Heath in the Wicken Selling Handicap Chase, a race for novice riders, at Warwick on February 23, 1953, was the only success Finbar Galbraith had in England during a career which spanned 15 years, although he did not hold a licence for parts of that time.
The six-year-old Sunton Heath was owned and trained by Alec Kilpatrick at Collingbourne Ducis, in Wiltshire, and already had a win at Warwick over hurdles to his credit when ridden by stable jockey Bert Morrow. Finbar had ridden him for the first time when finishing fifth in a chase at Wincanton two weeks earlier.
The closing stages of the Warwick contest proved highly eventful. Rowney Gem was in the lead when falling four out. Approaching the last fence the race looked between the other joint favourite Shelleys and the 20-1 shot Top Member. Shelleys led over the fence but fell on landing, as did Top Member, leaving Sunton Heath clear to win by 12 lengths.
Finbar had two disappointing rides on the horse at Beaufort Hunt and Towcester later that season. He rode Sunton Heath for the last time on October 24, 1953 when finishing fourth at Chepstow.
He did not renew his licence the following season but returned towards the end of the decade, riding for Andoversford trainer Alf Gilbert during the 1959/60 season. Among his mounts was novice chaser Merry Mops, whose three outings under Finbar produced form figures of FFP. Another was juvenile hurdler Watson who unseated him at the third flight on their first outing together, finishing down the field in their next two starts. A safer conveyance was hurdler Silenus who did at least get round on each of the five occasions Finbar rode him, although never finishing closer than ninth.
Again, he did not renew his licence at the end of that season but returned in the 1962/63 campaign. The closest he came to riding a winner was at Towcester on Whit Monday, June 3, when South Seller finished third, beaten a total of three and three-quarter lengths, in the Silverstone Handicap Hurdle.
He began the 1963/64 season with three rides in the opening week, finishing seventh of 13 runners on South Seller in the South Zeal Novices’ Hurdle (Division 1) at Newton Abbot on the opening day, Saturday, August 3, then twice last on Starstrewn at the same venue on Monday 5 and at Devon & Exeter three days later. Neither South Seller or Starstrewn ran again that season, nor does Finbar Galbraith appear to have had any further rides in Britain.
Relocating to Ireland, he had a brief measure of success riding for owner/trainer John P. Daly. The best horse he rode for him was Kay’s Vulgan, winning a Thurles novice chase on January 6, 1966 and being placed on three other occasions that season. He also finished second and third on the maiden hurdler Sounds Orchestral.
The following season he had around a dozen rides, all unplaced, split among Sounds Orchestral and another maiden hurdler, Grecian School. He had his final ride when finishing ninth of 12 on Doxy Court in the Banteer Handicap Hurdle at Mallow (known today as Cork) on Easter Monday, April 15, 1968.
Fast forward ten years and Finbar was back in England, working as a stable lad for Newmarket trainer Doug Smith. It was a short stay, for he was said to have caused considerable friction among the staff. Described as having a “heavy drinking habit” he was one of four stable lads involved in a fight in Newmarket’s Rookery shopping centre and appeared in court on one occasion charged with drunkenness and racial abuse.
In later life, he was a beneficiary of the Injured Jockeys Fund.