Fergal O’Brien Racing 🏇🏻 Racing Photographer 📸
The Cotswolds
Joined June 2014
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Beth McCabe retweeted
Marcus Townend Fundraiser
About Marcus
After time with local newspapers and the Sporting Life, he worked for the Daily Mail for 35 years, graduating to becoming its racing editor and correspondent – a diligent, principled, talented and tenacious journalist.
Marcus's accident
It is nearly a year since Marcus fell off his bike and suffered the first of three bleeds in his brain. Three months later, he had gradually recovered well enough from the first two to spend a month at home. The third bleed, which occurred at the end of March, following a plate insertion to repair his skull, proved the most damaging, from which he is still recuperating. Too late, he was finally diagnosed in July to have mild haemophilia. Despite his amazing determination to communicate clearly, self care and mobilise, he will require ongoing neurophysiotherapy and much care from others to achieve his independent potential.
How you can help?
This year's HWPA Derby Awards Lunch (Monday 7th December) will be combined with a fundraiser for Marcus..
1. Straight Donation - join the many simply donating...
justgiving.com/crowdfunding/…
2. Join the Wall of Supporters for the lunch - not only can you attend the lunch (£140 per head) using the form below, you can also join the list of company logos/sponsors that will form the backdrop
form.jotform.com/26262629171…
3. Contribute a Silent Auction Prize - we will be running a silent auction in the weeks building up to the lunch with the auction finishing on the day. We'd love to add some more lots so if you'd like to donate something then email me [email protected]
Beth McCabe retweeted
Little Milly Ocean and big Heaven Can Wait this morning #TeamFOB
Beth McCabe retweeted
David Egan RESIGNS from Amo Racing amid increasing tension with multi-million chief Kia Joorabchian after jockey's blank week at Royal Ascot trib.al/DrqIIFe
Beth McCabe retweeted
Kieran Shoemark on being sober for eight years
🗣️ "Getting sober was probably a great achievement, but staying sober seems somewhat easy to a degree now. I kind of live this life now without any alcohol and it's my way of life.
"Quite a lot of people call me if they're going through difficulties. I'd get a lot of messages from fellow jockeys and people who work in racing.
"Obviously, mine was quite well documented and everyone was aware. I've always been an advocate for reaching out and I've encouraged people to do so.
"I get a lot out of helping people and I have time for anybody who is going through something like that. I'd never not pick up the phone."
Beth McCabe retweeted
Ryan’s Rocket lands the Red Rum Handicap Chase for @FOBRacing and @JohnnyBurke2 🥇
Get the facts: horsepwr.co.uk | #HorsePWR
Beth McCabe retweeted
❤️ ENVOI ALLEN ❤️
1️⃣7️⃣ wins
🔟 Grade 1 victories
3️⃣ Cheltenham Festival victories
Thanks for the memories, superstar 🕊️
Beth McCabe retweeted
Thankfully both Kamsinas and Fern seem fine after their last flight fall at Doncaster
Beth McCabe retweeted
Willie Mullins has entered DADDY LONG LEGS against Constitution Hill next Friday 👀
Dan Skelton has entered GAMBINO, Fergal has entered TRIPOLI FLYER
Beth McCabe retweeted
We don’t have that many G1 runners
And even fewer G1 winners (that’s our 4th)
Delighted for the Megsons and the whole team back at Ravenswell #TeamFOB
Beth McCabe retweeted
ℹ️ Did you spot this @Ascot or @WindsorRaces over the weekend? 🤔
Manothepeople, Stoner’s Choice (@FOBRacing) and Gidleigh Park (@HarryFryRacing1) became the latest horses to wear heart monitors on the racecourse as part of a BHA-backed pilot.
Wearable devices have been used in yards and on the gallops for some time. But now we’re testing their use under race conditions.
Why? Because these 'equine fitbits' can track a horse’s heart activity and rhythm, giving us an insight into their health and performance.
This is valuable data that is supporting vital scientific research @UniOfSurrey into the cardiac activity of horses and how we may be able to identify those at greater risk of experiencing heart issues.
The early signs from the pilot are encouraging. We have established that the technology is safe and practical to use on the racecourse, and that we can gather accurate electrocardiogram readings under race conditions.
What started in May 2025 as a 10-race pilot has now been expanded to include more horses at more fixtures, with refinements to the kit and raceday processes.
The devices sit neatly in the saddle cloth and underneath the girth strap, so may only be visible in the pre-parade ring or unsaddling areas – you’d have to have been eagle-eyed to notice it 👀
The plan is to roll it out further in the months ahead so that the technology is used more widely 🏇
In the meantime, read more about the background to the pilot: britishhorseracing.com/its-e…
#BHAexpanded
📸 Abbie Kyte / @focusonracing
Beth McCabe retweeted
Who better to celebrate a winner with than @MCYeeehaaa, right @FOBRacing?
Beth McCabe retweeted
Wootton Bassett 2008 – 2025
Wootton Bassett, one of the world’s great sires has sadly passed away today at Coolmore Australia having suffered from choke and subsequently developing an acute pneumonia which deteriorated rapidly. Despite round-the-clock care from a dedicated team of vets, overseen by Dr Nathan Slovis from Hagyard Equine Medical Institute in Kentucky, he was unable to be saved.
Wootton Bassett’s story as a sire is a unique one. Nicolas de Chambure got him off to an incredible start at Haras d’Etreham in France before he was acquired by Coolmore in 2020. In his time at Coolmore he developed into a world class sire, with 25 Stakes winners and six Group 1 winners from his current two and three-year-old crops conceived in Ireland. Included amongst these are multiple Group 1-winning sons Camille Pissarro and Henri Matisse as well as this season’s multiple Group 1-winning filly, Whirl. His current two-year-old crop in Europe already includes six Group winners. Albert Einstein, who defeated subsequent Group 1 winner Power Blue in the Group 3 Marble Hill Stakes, is considered by both Aidan O’Brien and Ryan Moore to be one of the best two-year-olds ever seen in Ballydoyle. Two more colts, Constitution River and Puerto Rico, have won Group 2 races in recent weeks while a pair of fillies, Composing and Beautify, both scored at the same level. Coolmore’s valued clients have three more crops in the pipeline the first of which will come under the hammer at the yearling sales in the weeks ahead.
In Australia, his first crop is highlighted by this year’s Golden Slipper runner-up and first colt home Wodeton, who lines up in the Group 1 Golden Rose Stakes this weekend for Chris Waller.
Beth McCabe retweeted
When we describe ourselves as a ‘dual purpose’ outfit, some people suggest that we don’t take flat racing seriously enough
Nothing could be further from the truth
All Ravenswell residents have to pass a stalls test these days
