'An all-round great person': Racing mourns Tom O’Brien after death at 39

Richard Johnson said Tom O'Brien left a 'positive mark on all of us'

Tom O’Brien rode over 1,000 winners in Britain and Ireland during the course of his distinguished career, including two victories at the Cheltenham Festival. Pic: David Fitzgerald/Sportsfile

Richard Johnson and Philip Hobbs have led the tributes to Tom O’Brien after the Grade One-winning jockey died at the age of 39 following a battle with cancer.

The rider, who was a nephew of Aidan O’Brien, was a mainstay of the Minehead operation, joining as a teenager and remaining there until his retirement in 2023, including a spell as stable jockey after Johnson hung up his own saddle in 2021.