Joseph O'Brien ready for poignant race at Doncaster

But this mild-mannered former jockey will be happy to accept the title today when he dons his racing silks once again to compete in the Clipper Logistics Leger Legends Stakes at Doncaster, which was won 12 months ago by Sir AP McCoy.

The now traditional day one highlight of the Ladbrokes St Leger festival, this is the seventh running of the charity race that has raised more than £650,000 for Doncaster’s Northern Racing College and Jack Berry House, the Injured Jockeys Fund rehabilitation centre at Malton.

Already Jack Berry House has helped stricken Flat riders Jason Hart and Connor Beasley with their recoveries while James Reveley used its facilities before winning the Grand Steeple-Chase de Paris this summer.

Today’s race – and fundraising lunch – will be particularly poignant as the participants pay their respects to former champion jockey Pat Eddery and the acclaimed North Yorkshire racing journalist Tom O’Ryan who passed away last month. Both have ridden in the charity contest in previous years.

“I’m looking forward to it. It’s a great cause and a good craic,” said O’Brien, who partners the George Scott-trained Phosphoresence in today’s contest. “It’s also nice to come over to Doncaster without having to go on a starvation diet beforehand.

“I’ve been riding out a lot at home and I’ve done plenty of schooling, that is about as much I’ve done. Hopefully I won’t be too unfit. Making the 11st 2lb weight won’t be a problem.”

This is, of course, a reference to the physical sacrifices that O’Brien had to make when he was travelling the world winning Classic races and Group One contests for his father Aidan, the master of Ballydoyle, and the world-famous Coolmore stud.

It led to him retiring from the saddle at the start of the current Flat season – the 6ft jockey could simply no longer make the nine stone weight required for most major races without doing untold harm to his health and the chances of his horses – to begin a new career as a trainer.

He has no regrets. He already has 100 horses in training and made an instant mark when the JP McManus-owned Ivanovich Gorbatov won the JCB Triumph Hurdle at this year’s Cheltenham Festival.

Even though O’Brien did all the training work, he did not receive his trainer’s licence in time so the victory is credited to his father. As such, he cannot wait to record a big race success in his own name.

“That was unbelievable. I didn’t expect to have a day like that,” O’Brien junior told The Yorkshire Post. “The horse has summered well and will be up against the big boys this season. That will make life a bit harder, but he has a big heart and he loves racing.”

He is also philosophical about his ups and downs as a jockey at Doncaster. His St Leger win aboard Leading Light in 2013 came 12 months after one of the lowest points of his riding career when Camelot’s quest for the fabled Triple Crown – the colt had already won the 2000 Guineas and Epsom Derby – ended in a shock defeat to Encke.

“These things happen. That’s horse racing,” said O’Brien.

There is also an acceptance by O’Brien of his physical limitations as he inched ever taller – it was amazing that he made the weight on Declaration of War to win the 2013 Juddmonte International at York. “I was very lucky to be able to do what I loved for so long,” he said. “These things don’t last forever, but it was great to have the opportunities that I did.”

When asked for the top piece of advice that he had received from his father, he simply said: “To try and give everything 110 per cent. What will be will be. Also enjoy the good days and move on from the bad days.”

Such advice would resonate with former St Leger-winning rider George Duffield, who will be competing in the Legends race for the final time.

The Stanley-born jockey, who rode User Friendly to glory, is 69 and insurance rules mean riders aged over 70 are excluded.

Ironically Duffield rides Red Charmer, who is trained by his wife Ann at the couple’s Constable Burton stables near Leyburn. “I’m devastated. Does he know what he’s doing? I can’t believe it, I’m gutted,” she said. “It’ll be a bit of fun and George probably won’t ride in it again after this year as he’ll be 70 in November, so hopefully the old boy will have given him a good spin anyway.”

A New fitness and rehab centre being built by the Injured Jockeys Fund in Newmarket is to be named after legendary commentator Sir Peter O’Sullevan.

To be named Peter O’Sullevan House, the new facility is due to be opened in 2018 and will receive funding from the late broadcaster’s charitable trust.

“As trustees we are determined to ensure that Peter’s name lives on in those areas he was so passionately committed to supporting,” said Trust chairman Nigel Payne.