Swedish success for Tumelty

Swedish success for Tumelty

7 October 2015

GERALD Tumelty scored a notable success in Scandanavia recently when riding Monfalcone to success in the King’s Cup at Taby Racecourse, Sweden.

The Downpatrick rider, who has been heavily involved with Alan King’s Barbury Castle Stables, near Swindon in England, was winning the prestigious race for the second time.

Tumelty has struck up quite a successful relationship with Monfalcone. The pair have now recorded nine victories, which include the Norwegian Champion Hurdle as well as a third in the Swedish Grand National.

The King’s prize is second only to the National in Sweden in terms of its profile and is run on the same day as the flat’s Stockholm Cup, another prestigious race in the Swedish racing calendar.

However, the meeting will not be held at Taby Racecourse again as the track is set to be demolished.

Tumelty has been busy away form the track in recent years, but managed to secure his 100th domestic success when riding Pattara to victory at Huntingdon last month.

He has been a regular face in Scandanavia in recent years and a regular visitor to the winner’s enclosure in both Norway and Sweden.

In the last couple of years he also had the job of transporting national hunt great Tony McCoy up and down the country to meetings prior to his retirement.

At the moment he is still focused on riding winners and will be involved in operations at Apple Tree Stud alongside friend and racing colleague Robert ‘Choc’ Thornton, who recently announced his retirement from the saddle after failing to recover from a fall at Chepstow in April of last year when he fractured vertebrae in his neck.

“My girlfriend Sarah Welford and I have been involved at Apple Tree Stud now for a year or so,” Gerald said.

“Sarah looked after Medermit and Blazing Bailey after he retired. They both belong to Paul Dunkley who owns the stud, and they are worth their weight in gold leading the younger horses,” he added.

“It’s something I can aim towards further on up the road and when it gets bigger I will probably think about giving up the race riding but I don’t want to do that just yet as I’m still as competitive as ever and enjoying racing as much as I ever did.”