John O'Neill
John Francis O’Neill was apprenticed to Con Collins in Ireland and rode a handful of winners including Am Free At Last in the Summer Plate at Limerick in May 1977. The previous year he’d twice come within a length of victory when second on Arun River in the Maynooth Handicap at Phoenix Park and the Sugar Factory Handicap at Mallow.
John Francis O’Neill was apprenticed to Con Collins in Ireland and rode a handful of winners including Am Free At Last in the Summer Plate at Limerick in May 1977. The previous year he’d twice come within a length of victory when second on Arun River in the Maynooth Handicap at Phoenix Park and the Sugar Factory Handicap at Mallow.
He came to Britain in 1980 and rode as a conditional jockey for Lambourn trainer Reg Akehurst. He achieved his first success for Akehurst on Ravensbourne (below) in a two-mile handicap hurdle at Windsor on November 8, 1980. They followed up with victory at Warwick seven days later.
He came to Britain in 1980 and rode as a conditional jockey for Lambourn trainer Reg Akehurst. He achieved his first success for Akehurst on Ravensbourne (below) in a two-mile handicap hurdle at Windsor on November 8, 1980. They followed up with victory at Warwick seven days later.
John rode just one more winner that season, again for Reg Akehurst, on Desert Star in a Nottingham selling hurdle on December 13, 1980.
John rode just one more winner that season, again for Reg Akehurst, on Desert Star in a Nottingham selling hurdle on December 13, 1980.
After drawing a blank the following season, John left Akehurst’s stable and joined that of trainer Dave Hanley in 1982. He rode for him for a couple of seasons but had no more winners.
After drawing a blank the following season, John left Akehurst’s stable and joined that of trainer Dave Hanley in 1982. He rode for him for a couple of seasons but had no more winners.