Tributes galore as Pat moves towards finish post

Trainers and jockeys were queueing up to pay tribute to Pat Eddery after the veteran rider announced he is to retire at the end of the season.

The 51-year-old, 11-times champion Flat jockey has elected to quit while still at the top of his game in order to set up a new ownership venture, the Pat Eddery Racing Club.

The tributes were led by two of the men who were Eddery’s biggest rivals for much of his career – former jockeys Lester Piggott and Willie Carson.

Living legend Piggott said: “Pat has had a great career and is a marvellous jockey”, and he added with a smile: “I can’t understand why he is giving up when he is so young – he must have made more money than I did!”

Carson, now a BBC pundit, said: “Pat is the true professional, through and through. It is a shame he is not going to beat Gordon Richards’ record for winners, but I suppose sitting in the weighing-room day in day out watching lesser lights, as it were, getting the jobs he can do is difficult to stand.

“But he has done everything, he has nothing to prove and he has had a marvellous career. He was never late for a race meeting, and he was always completely focused. He is riding as well as ever and no-one can criticise him.

“He had a different (riding) style to me, but it is all about getting the job done and Pat always did.”

Eddery’s current weighing-room colleagues were full of praise for the man who rode his first winner in 1969.

Richard Quinn said: “He’s been a great ambassador for the sport. All the apprentices look up to him. I wish him all the best with his new venture.”

Kevin Darley added: “What you see is what you get with Pat Eddery. There are no frills. He has been a great ambassador and role model.

“When I was starting out all the young jockeys looked up to him. You’ve got to take your hat off to him for what he’s done. I’d rather have 99 per cent of the jockeys against me in a finish than Pat Eddery.”

Among the trainers who were quick to join in the praise for Eddery was John Dunlop, who teamed up with the Irishman to win the St Leger with Moon Madness in 1986 and Silver Patriarch in 1997.

He said: “It’s very sad news. I had no idea until one or two of the press boys rang me and said an announcement was going to take place.

“He rode his first winner for me 30 years ago this year – September 1973 at Bath. The sad thing was that he missed out on his hundred last year (when Eddery ended the season on 99).

“He’s been the same man with the same wonderful manners and wonderful enthusiasm over all those years.

“He’s never changed one iota and was the most charming man to work for you and to work with.

“He rode two Leger winners for us and just missed out on a Derby (Silver Patriarch). He’ll be sadly, sadly missed by us all.