Jonjo O’Neill has been helping Tony McCoy hog the headlines over the past couple of weeks but it was time for his backstage man Richie McLernon to take the spotlight on Johns Spirit in the Paddy Power Gold Cup at Cheltenham.
Record-breaking McCoy was required for owner JP McManus’ unplaced Tap Night in Saturday’s feature event as jumps racing in Britain got into full swing.
McLernon, the uncomplaining second jockey for O’Neill, has established a good link with Johns Spirit including a success over course and distance at the October meeting but it was getting very tight after the last with the 7-1 chance tiring after being left alone in front.
“This means a lot,” McLernon said. “I’m working very hard in the yard every day, just being one of the lads, but the boss has been very good to me.
“The fences were narrow enough today so instead of going down the inner I went wider than was ideal but his jumping was brilliant up the hill and he just arrived there.”
McLernon had celebrated McCoy riding his 4000th winner nine days earlier on Johns Spirit’s stablemate Mountain Tunes but quickly dedicated his victory to another Cheltenham hero, the paralysed JT McNamara.
“My friend is watching me, John Thomas McNamara, and I hope that put a smile on his face,” he said.
“We were all watching AP’s 4000th back at the yard, it was just a brilliant thing to be part of, and it gave everyone a buzz.”
O’Neill said Johns Spirit was likely to return to Cheltenham for next month’s December Gold Cup.
