Racing community honours ‘brilliant’ JT McNamara

An air of silence and sadness hung over the usually boisterous Ballybrit yesterday as the racing community mourned the passing of jockey John Thomas ‘JT’ McNamara.

The entire racecourse — trainers, jockeys and punters alike — stood in silence before the off of the second race of the day as a mark of respect to the jockey who passed away on Monday night at the age of just 41.

The Limerick rider had spent three years battling against catastrophic injuries he sustained in a fall at the Cheltenham Festival in 2013.