Rookie trainer Brian Toomey grateful for Redknapp support

Former football manager’s horse Wake Up Harry will be the new handler’s first runner at Lingfield.

Brian Toomey has hailed the support of Harry Redknapp as he prepares to saddle his first runner as a trainer in the colours of the former football manager at Lingfield on Saturday.

The ex-jump jockey’s journey to the training ranks is a remarkable one, having sustained life-threatening injuries from a horror fall at Perth 10 years ago.

That incident saw the now 34-year-old spend 157 nights in hospital and placed in an induced coma for two weeks while having surgery to reduce swelling on his brain, including the removal of part of his skull.

Despite the extent of his injuries, and medics telling Toomey he had died for six seconds and was given only a three per cent chance of survival, he made a full recovery and even briefly returned to the saddle before hanging up his boots and turning his attentions to training in 2016.

Brian Toomey during his days as a jockey
Brian Toomey during his days as a jockey (Nigel French/PA)

Seven years on and he is preparing to saddle his first runner since taking up residence at Bowstridge Farm in Chalfont St Giles and being granted a dual-purpose licence by the British Horseracing Authority.

Toomey admits it has been a far from straightforward journey to reach this proud moment, but it is the Irishman’s determined attitude that first attracted the attention of Redknapp, whose Wake Up Harry will line-up for the new handler in division one of the one-mile Gamble Responsibly At BetMGM Handicap.

He said: “I’m blessed with the contacts and connections I have made and my first runner is for Harry Redknapp, who has been very encouraging to me throughout my path towards my goal. It’s a massive privilege and very exciting.

“Harry respects and admires my drive and determination he has said, and it’s one of the reasons he has supported me. He said ‘listen, you have never given up’ – and I’m very lucky.”

Toomey went on: “It hasn’t been easy, I won’t lie. I come from a non-racing background and it is something I have had to go out and achieve myself.

“I have been talking about it for a very long time and people probably thought ‘is this going to ever happen?’, but an opinion is not a fact and I knew in my head this is something I was always working towards and something I was going to achieve if I could.

“I am very passionate about training and nothing has been handed to me and hopefully I can prove I can do it. I am very focussed on making it a success if I can.”

Toomey’s carefully selected Buckinghamshire base is in the ideal spot to target a whole host of racecourses and he hopes that Redknapp isn’t the only famous face he can attract to his yard as he develops both the facilities and his string.

“I’ve got a few horses that will be ready to run before the year ends,” the trainer added.

“I’m hoping to pick up some more support before the year ends, but I’ve been blessed to have the support I already have.

“I’m at Chalfont St Giles in Buckinghamshire. It is a lovely part of the country and only 24 miles from central London – and there are a lot of famous names around Chalfont St Giles and you never know, hopefully I may be able to attract a few of them.

“I’m only an hour away from Lingfield and 45 minutes from Kempton and places like that, so it is very central and there are plenty of racecourses around.”

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