Legendary racing family build excitement ahead of Cheltenham Festival

Celebrations began a week early when Wild Thyme & Honey hotel in Ampney Crucis hosted a Racing Preview Night with the O’Neills on Tuesday, March 5.

Champion jockey and trainer Jonjo senior, his wife Jacqui, son jockey Jonjo junior and assistant trainer AJ provided a valuable insight into the horse racing world.  

The event - which was raising money for Racing Welfare charity - included a raffle, an auction and a two-course meal where guests were able to eat like a horse.

The charity offers professional guidance and practical help to the stud, stable and racecourse staff and aims to help people, from recruitment to retirement, to thrive in day-to-day life and through a range of challenges.

Attendees eagerly listened to the family talk about their illustrious careers and Jonjo senior provided amusing insight about his early career.

Guests heard straight from the horse’s mouth about his childhood in Ireland, having his first win in a Donkey Derby and ultimately becoming a champion jockey and a trainer at the highest level.

Jonjo junior is a National Hunt jockey and talked openly about growing up with his racing legend father and riding alongside A P McCoy as a youngster and graduating to be a top jockey in his own right.

He hadn’t always wanted to be a jockey as he was also a very good rugby player playing in the first team at Cheltenham College.

However, as his slim build and height were more typical of a jockey than a rugby player so the horses won.

Members of the audience were winners too and managed to scoop up some great prizes including a mint condition copy of the Towcester race card from November 7, 2013, when A P McCoy rode his 4000th winner on Mountain Tunes.

Another winning bid secured pre-match hospitality for two guests at the Manchester United v Burnley Premier League Fixture at Old Trafford at the end of April.

Two other attendees won dinner, bed and breakfast at the Wild Thyme & Honey hotel at Ampney Crucis.