Members of the racing fraternity will join the wife and family of the late JT McNamara for requiem mass this morning at St Michael's Church, Manister. The service will be held at 11am with family flowers only requested and donations, if desired, to the Irish Jockeys Injured Fund.
The late JT and his wife Caroline
Kildare’s Ted Walsh was among leaders from the racing industry to praise the talents of the late JT, the Limerick jockey having been left paralysed after a serious fall during Cheltenham Festival 2013. Despite his immobility, JT used his experience to train racing horses over the past two years, but will be remembered fondly as ‘The King of the Banks’, the jockey who recorded 16 wins at Cheltenham.
Racing personality Walsh spoke fondly of the late JT’s talents in the saddle, saying he was one of the best, very popular with jockeys in the weigh-room and well liked within the horse-racing industry.
The legendary AP McCoy spoke emotively of his former colleague, stating “It’s such a sad thing to happen, such a sad day but I think John Thomas would definitely like us to be positive about it...”
Speaking to RTÉ Sport, he said: “It is a very sad day for everyone in racing, especially his family, his wife Caroline, an amazing woman who has been caring for JT”. The former Champion Jockey described the late JT as being “a little bit like myself at times, he could be grumpy enough... but was generally good-humoured, and a fantastic, brilliant rider”.
McCoy referred to the late JT’s ride on Rith Dubh at Cheltenham and added “It was as good as you could ever wish to see.”
Reflecting on the accident that rendered the late JT paralysed from the neck down, McCoy said it was a day that still haunts him.
“It’s a day I’ll never forget… Adrian McGoldrick, who is the jockey’s doctor in Ireland, coming in to me just after the race and telling me – because I was president of the Injured Jockeys Fund in England – that he was very ill and it was very serious. I remember looking over at his peg and seeing his clothes hanging up, and to this day, I can picture it in my head and thinking that he’s never coming back in here. That’s something I will never forget.”
JT is survived by his wife Caroline, children Olivia, Dylan and Harry; parents John and Kathleen, brother Aongus and the extended family. The late JT McNamara, King of the Banks, rest in peace, amen.
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