Patrick Conolly (1806 - 1842) was an

Irish Irish may refer to: Common meanings * Someone or something of, from, or related to: ** Ireland, an island situated off the north-western coast of continental Europe ***Éire, Irish language name for the isle ** Northern Ireland, a constituent unit ...

jockey A jockey is someone who rides horses in horse racing or steeplechase racing, primarily as a profession. The word also applies to camel riders in camel racing. The word "jockey" originated from England and was used to describe the individual ...

, who won each of the British Classics at least once in his career. His career was cut short by early death through illness, not long after his second Derby victory.

Early life

Conolly is reputed to have been born in

Co. Kildare County Kildare ( ga, Contae Chill Dara) is a Counties of Ireland, county in Ireland. It is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster and is part of the Eastern and Midland Region. It is named after the town of Kildare. Kildare County Cou ...

, possibly in

Naas Naas ( ; ga, Nás na Ríogh or ) is the county town of County Kildare in Ireland. In 2016, it had a population of 21,393, making it the second largest town in County Kildare after Newbridge. History The name of Naas has been recorded in th ...

in 1806, although no baptismal record has been found. Racing would run in the family. His brother-in-law, Arthur Pavis, was a jockey, and his nephew, John Conolly (1858-1896), would also become a successful jockey in Ireland. Around 1817, Conolly became apprentice to William Cleary, trainer to Michael Prendergast MP. He made his debut riding a horse called Jemmy Gay at

The Curragh The Curragh ( ; ga, An Currach ) is a flat open plain of almost of common land in County Kildare. This area is well known for Irish horse breeding and training. The Irish National Stud is located on the edge of Kildare town, beside the f ...

in 1819.

Career

In 1821, Prendergast brought him to England. While in England, and through his links to Prendergast, he also received the patronage of Lord Exeter,

Lord Chesterfield Philip Dormer Stanhope, 4th Earl of Chesterfield, (22 September 169424 March 1773) was a British statesman, diplomat, and man of letters, and an acclaimed wit of his time. Early life He was born in London to Philip Stanhope, 3rd Earl of Ches ...

and Lord Verulam among others. Prendergast’s own horses were trained by Henry Neale. Conolly’s career took off when he won the Chelmsford Gold Cup on the Neale-trained Vaurien, owned by Lord Verulam. This began a lasting partnership between the three. On 7 March 1831, Conolly rode Lord Verulam's horse Albert in a trial on Newmarket Heath. The horse was a particular favourite of Verulam's, having won each of its first five races, and he rose early to attend. Albert led the group at a good pace, until suffering a catastrophic burst blood vessel, and, to quote Conolly, 'the life of the horse became instantaneously extinct.' Lord Verulam was so affected by the loss that he erected a memorial plaque in his name. Conolly’s most celebrated equine partnership came with the highly rated

Plenipotentiary A ''plenipotentiary'' (from the Latin ''plenus'' "full" and ''potens'' "powerful") is a diplomat who has full powers—authorization to sign a treaty or convention on behalf of his or her sovereign. When used as a noun more generally, the word ...

, the horse on which he won his first

Derby Derby ( ) is a city and unitary authority area in Derbyshire, England. It lies on the banks of the River Derwent in the south of Derbyshire, which is in the East Midlands Region. It was traditionally the county town of Derbyshire. Derby gai ...

in 1834. Having beaten a field of 22 in that race, the colt was also widely expected to follow up in the St. Leger. However, on the day, the horse's appearance immediately caused consternation among racegoers. Rumours soon circulated that the horse had been interfered with, a situation made more likely by the lax security at the racecourse stables. On the way to the start, Plenipotentiary moved slowly and gamblers rushed to salvage their bets. Conolly reported that the colt felt dead beneath him during the race, and he ran terribly, despite all efforts. It would be his only defeat. Conolly would have another near success in the St. Leger. In 1839, his horse Euclid dead-heated with

Charles the Twelfth Charles the Twelfth (1836–1859) was a British Thoroughbred racehorse and sire best known for winning the classic St Leger Stakes in 1839. He ran a dead-heat with Euclid in the classic before winning the prize in a deciding heat. In a rac ...

for the race, the first time this had ever happened. Both owners agreed to a run-off, with Charles the Twelfth prevailing by a head. On 26 May 1841, Conolly would win a second Derby on

Coronation A coronation is the act of placement or bestowal of a coronation crown, crown upon a monarch's head. The term also generally refers not only to the physical crowning but to the whole ceremony wherein the act of crowning occurs, along with the ...

. The horse was backed down from 10/1 to 4/1 favourite just before the off, and, shortly after entering the straight, Conolly sent the horse on for an easy three-length victory. Celebrations were cut short though. As the crowd mobbed the horse in the unsaddling enclosure, he panicked and kicked out, catching a bystander full in the face and killing him.

Racing style and character

Conolly was an even-tempered, safe jockey who didn't take chances. In 1835, the Sporting Magazine said of him, 'he has a smile that relates the history of his heart. Long as he has been absent from his country, his accent still adheres to him…and he is not ashamed of it.'

Personal life

On 9 February 1836 Conolly married Elizabeth Boyce in the parish church of

Woodditton Woodditton is a village and civil parish in East Cambridgeshire, England. The other settlements in the parish are Ditton Green, Little Ditton and Saxon Street. At the time of the 2001 census, the parish's population (including Kirtling) was 1,78 ...

near Newmarket. The couple had two daughters, Ellen and Mary Anne, and a son, Frank. Conolly also had a son from a previous relationship with Michael Prendergast's niece, Ellen Ricketts. The son went to Australia, took the name of Matthew St Leon and founded a dynasty of circus riders.

Death

In the winter of 1841, Conolly fell violently sick. After a 'long and painful illness', he died at Newmarket on the afternoon of Saturday 9 April 1842. Conolly is buried on the east side of All Saints' Church, close to the east entrance. Today, the headstone of his grave lies flat and is virtually illegible.

Major wins

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1,000 Guineas Stakes The 1000 Guineas Stakes is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to three-year-old fillies. It is run on the Rowley Mile at Newmarket over a distance of 1 mile (1,609 ...

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2,000 Guineas Stakes The 2000 Guineas Stakes is a Group 1 flat race in Great Britain open to three-year-old thoroughbred colts and fillies. It is run on the Rowley Mile at Newmarket over a distance of 1 mile (1,609 metres) and scheduled to take place each year at ...

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Epsom Derby The Derby Stakes, also known as the Epsom Derby or the Derby, and as the Cazoo Derby for sponsorship reasons, is a Group 1 flat horse race in England open to three-year-old colts and fillies. It is run at Epsom Downs Racecourse in Surrey o ...

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Epsom Oaks The Oaks Stakes is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to three-year-old fillies. It is run at Epsom Downs over a distance of 1 mile, 4 furlongs and 6 yards (2, ...

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St Leger The St Leger Stakes is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to three-year-old thoroughbred colts and fillies. It is run at Doncaster over a d ...

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References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Conolly, Patrick 1806 births 1842 deaths Irish jockeys People from Naas Equestrians from County Kildare