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Valentine (Val) O’Brien, the son of Irish Grand National-winning jockey Tommy O’Brien, started out as an amateur rider and enjoyed plenty of success in Irish bumpers and over hurdles. Among his early wins in the latter discipline was the Tom Dreaper-trained Garrynagree, on whom Val won an amateur riders’ maiden hurdle at Fairyhouse in November 1968.
Valentine (Val) O’Brien, the son of Irish Grand National-winning jockey Tommy O’Brien, started out as an amateur rider and enjoyed plenty of success in Irish bumpers and over hurdles. Among his early wins in the latter discipline was the Tom Dreaper-trained Garrynagree, on whom Val won an amateur riders’ maiden hurdle at Fairyhouse in November 1968.
He rode out his claim when winning a four-and five-year-old bumper on Vector at Downpatrick on March 6, 1970. Later that month he rode Denys Adventure to win a maiden hurdle on his racecourse debut at Fairyhouse’s Easter meeting.
He rode out his claim when winning a four-and five-year-old bumper on Vector at Downpatrick on March 6, 1970. Later that month he rode Denys Adventure to win a maiden hurdle on his racecourse debut at Fairyhouse’s Easter meeting.
He turned professional at the start of the 1970/71 National Hunt season and achieved his first important success on Leap Frog in the Sandymount Chase at Leopardstown on November 14, 1970. The retirement of Tom Dreaper’s stable jockey Pat Taaffe at the end of that year meant that Val, along with Eddie Wright, Peter McLoughlin and Sean Barker, shared the rides on Dreaper’s horses over the next couple of seasons.
He turned professional at the start of the 1970/71 National Hunt season and achieved his first important success on Leap Frog in the Sandymount Chase at Leopardstown on November 14, 1970. The retirement of Tom Dreaper’s stable jockey Pat Taaffe at the end of that year meant that Val, along with Eddie Wright, Peter McLoughlin and Sean Barker, shared the rides on Dreaper’s horses over the next couple of seasons.
Val rode Leap Frog to win the valuable W. D. & H. O. Wills Premier Chase Final at Haydock on January 16, 1971. Two months later they started 7-2 co-favourites for the Cheltenham Gold Cup, in which they finished second, ten lengths behind the winner L’Escargot.
Val rode Leap Frog to win the valuable W. D. & H. O. Wills Premier Chase Final at Haydock on January 16, 1971. Two months later they started 7-2 co-favourites for the Cheltenham Gold Cup, in which they finished second, ten lengths behind the winner L’Escargot.
Val enjoyed a banner season in 1971/72. He landed a big race treble aboard Dreaper-trained horses on the first day of Leopardstown’s Christmas meeting, winning the Paddock Chase on Colebridge, the Independent Cup Chase on Anne, Duchess of Westminster’s Sea Brief, and the Glencairn Handicap Hurdle on Good Review. He followed up on Good Review in the Delgany Hurdle over the same course and distance in January.
Val enjoyed a banner season in 1971/72. He landed a big race treble aboard Dreaper-trained horses on the first day of Leopardstown’s Christmas meeting, winning the Paddock Chase on Colebridge, the Independent Cup Chase on Anne, Duchess of Westminster’s Sea Brief, and the Glencairn Handicap Hurdle on Good Review. He followed up on Good Review in the Delgany Hurdle over the same course and distance in January.
He won a second successive renewal of the W. D. & H. O. Wills Premier Chase Final at Haydock on Colebridge on January 22, 1972. He then recorded his highest-profile victory in Britain when winning Newbury’s Schweppes Gold Trophy on Good Review on February 12. He and Good Review followed that success by winning the Fingal Hurdle at Fairyhouse’s Easter meeting and the Veuve Cliquot Champion Novice Hurdle at Punchestown.
He won a second successive renewal of the W. D. & H. O. Wills Premier Chase Final at Haydock on Colebridge on January 22, 1972. He then recorded his highest-profile victory in Britain when winning Newbury’s Schweppes Gold Trophy on Good Review on February 12. He and Good Review followed that success by winning the Fingal Hurdle at Fairyhouse’s Easter meeting and the Veuve Cliquot Champion Novice Hurdle at Punchestown.
Back at Punchesown in November 1972, Val won the Donaghmore Handicap Chase on Sea Brief. Having won a Naas novice chase on Good Review on December 2, Val rode that horse to victory in the Independent Cup Chase at Leopardstown on Boxing Day (St Stephen’s Day, as it is known in Ireland), Val’s second successive win in that race.
Back at Punchesown in November 1972, Val won the Donaghmore Handicap Chase on Sea Brief. Having won a Naas novice chase on Good Review on December 2, Val rode that horse to victory in the Independent Cup Chase at Leopardstown on Boxing Day (St Stephen’s Day, as it is known in Ireland), Val’s second successive win in that race.
Val and Good Review returned to Leopardstown in February and won the Arkle Perpetual Challenge Cup by eight lengths. They started favourite for the Arkle Challenge Trophy at the 1973 Cheltenham National Hunt meeting but finished second, two lengths behind the winner – ironically it was Denys Adventure, the same horse on whom Val had won a maiden hurdle three years earlier.
Val and Good Review returned to Leopardstown in February and won the Arkle Perpetual Challenge Cup by eight lengths. They started favourite for the Arkle Challenge Trophy at the 1973 Cheltenham National Hunt meeting but finished second, two lengths behind the winner – ironically it was Denys Adventure, the same horse on whom Val had won a maiden hurdle three years earlier.
Val won four three-mile handicap chases that season on Tubs VI, trained by his father, culminating in the Ulster National at Downpatrick on May 4, 1973. The following season, Val rode Tubs VI in the 1974 Grand National – the only occasion he rode in the race – completing the course in fourteenth place.
Val won four three-mile handicap chases that season on Tubs VI, trained by his father, culminating in the Ulster National at Downpatrick on May 4, 1973. The following season, Val rode Tubs VI in the 1974 Grand National – the only occasion he rode in the race – completing the course in fourteenth place.
Val O'Brien winning the 1972 Wills Premier Chase Final on Colebridge.
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