Tom O’Brien, Two-Time Cheltenham Winner, Dies at 39 After Cancer Battle

Jockey Tom O’Brien has died aged 39 following a battle with cancer, according to reports. The rider, who retired in 2023, built a career of more than 1,000 winners and earned two notable victories at the Cheltenham Festival. O’Brien first won at the meeting aboard Silk Affair in the 2009 Fred Winter Juvenile Hurdle. More than a decade later, he returned to the winner’s enclosure with Third Wind in the 2022 Pertemps Network Hurdle Final. He also finished runner-up in the Grand National during his career. The news prompted tributes from people in racing and broadcasting. TalkSPORT reporter Alex Crook wrote on X that O’Brien had died the previous night after a long illness, remembering meeting the jockey and his family at Chepstow. Crook sent condolences to those closest to him. Broadcaster Ian Abrahams, known as Moose, also paid tribute, noting O’Brien’s tally of more than a thousand winners. He described the jockey as humble and said he would be greatly missed, while expressing sympathy for his family and friends. A fan likewise remembered O’Brien as a talented rider and shared condolences with those mourning him. The reports also recalled a moving gesture from fellow jockey Ciaran Gethings. After winning a two-mile handicap chase at Aintree aboard Javert Allen, Gethings dedicated the result to O’Brien, whom he described as a special friend and former weighing-room colleague. Before the race, he had promised to mention him if he won. Speaking to ITV Racing after the victory, Gethings said he hoped O’Brien was watching from home and that the result had brought him a smile. The dedication has become part of the tributes celebrating the jockey’s career and the friendships he formed in racing.