In The Hot Seat: Brian Toomey

[Wandering Eyes]

Brian Toomey's promising career as a National Hunt jockey was cruelly short in July 2013 when the County Limerick native suffered a life-threatening head injury in a fall at Perth. Remarkably, he briefly returned to race-riding in the summer of 2015, before stepping back the following year to dedicate himself to his next big goal of becoming a trainer.

That dream came to fruition in November 2023 when Toomey saddled his first runner at Lingfield, with the horse in question, Wake Up Harry, going on to become his trainer's first winner when striking at Kempton the following month.

Wake Up Harry is owned by the former Premier League manager Harry Redknapp who, as Toomey reveals in our latest Hot Seat, has been a huge supporter of the young trainer and his burgeoning yard in Buckinghamshire.

How did you first become involved in racing?

I didn't come from a racing or equine background, but I was lucky that my father bought me a pony at a young age and my interest kind of progressed from there. I rode in a few point-to-points in Ireland and then I came to work for Brendan Powell when he was based in Lambourn.

What was your defining memory of 2025?

I trained a two-year-old winner at Newbury [Electrical] for Jeff Smith which was something special. I also trained a two-year-old winner for Harry Redknapp. That was a horse I purchased myself and Harry named him Burdett Estate where he spent the first 20 years of his life, I think. Harry is an unbelievable guy and he treats him like his son, to be honest. He rang me on Christmas Day and he's just a fantastic person.

What is your favourite thing about being a trainer?

I love being able to give the horses individual care.

What is your least favourite thing about being a trainer?

The uncertainty.

What motivates you?

Results and trying to get the best out of the string of horses that I have. I've got 12 horses in and I've been lucky that I've trained 15 winners now. I've got two horses for Harry Redknapp, two for Tony Bloom, two for Jeff Smith and one that runs in Queen Camilla's colours. I've been very fortunate.

What keeps you awake at night?

Trying to figure out where my next winner is going to come from. Either that or harrowing the gallop through the night during the winter!

What is your proudest moment to date?

To start off this business on my own. It was a goal that I'd been chasing for such a long time and I was able to do it without any backing whatsoever. Nothing was handed to me.

Give us an underrated sire to keep the right side of in 2026…

Bungle Inthejungle or Ten Sovereigns. Ten Sovereigns was a proper horse and the champion three-year-old sprinter in Europe. I think they might have made a bit of a mistake sending him to Turkey. I don't have any of his progeny in the yard, but I really rated him.

And a horse to follow on the racecourse in 2026…

The Reverend for Tony Bloom. He showed a high level of form on the Flat and I think he could develop into a leading novice hurdler for Willie Mullins.

Tell us something people don't know about you…

That I once died! People know that I had a head injury, but not everybody knows that I lost consciousness and was practically dead for seven seconds.

What's your go-to karaoke song?

Rockstar by Nickelback.

Who is your inspiration?

My late father, God rest him. He had a dairy farm and was a real grafter.

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