PAT Farrell was a champion racehorse trainer and a master mentor. In a passion that started 62 years ago, Farrell trained 920 winners and was renowned as an astute horseman. He also guided the careers of champion jockeys Wayne Harris, Neil Rae, Paul Sylvester and Darryl McLennan. Farrell died on the weekend. He was 83.
“Pat was a legend,” said renowned racing journalist and analyst Gary Harley. ” He was a very good trainer, very good horseman. He had a lot of success with horses from the studs up in the Hunter Valley in the early days.
“His brother Frank was his foreman for many years, and they had a lot of success in the country and in town.
“Away from the track, Pat was a generous man and would always help you.” Newcastle Jockey Club CEO Duanne Dowell held the same position in Muswellbrook for five years and described Farrell as a ‘larger than life’ character.
“We had a unique relationship and Pat was certainly one of a kind,” Dowell said. “He was a larger-than-life character, and I learnt a lot from him. “You could have a strong debate with him, and the next day, he would move on. He never held a grudge. “Some of his accomplishments in the 70s, 80s and 90s, when he had 130 horses in work at Muswellbrook, I’d say his contribution to the racing industry was understated.”
Farrell earned the title of the Theo Green of the north as he mentored premiership-winning apprentices, Wayne Harris, Neil Rae, Paul Sylvester, and Darryl McLennan.
Harris won three Sydney apprentice titles and was the first apprentice to win a Golden Slipper aboard Century Miss in 1979 before going on to win the 1994 Melbourne Cup on Jeune.
“Look at the calibre of jockeys he mentored,” Harley said. “Wayne Harris won a Melbourne Cup and Golden Slipper, Neil Rae rode a ton of winners, Paul Sylvester was a good rider and Digger McLennan won two Groups 1s and rode more than 2000 winners. “Pat was very strict but fair. That is why they turned into such good riders. He cracked the whip.”
Farrell started training in Muswellbrook in 1963.In a career that spanned 62 years, Farrell trained 920 winners and 2,018 placegetters. He won the first of eight Newcastle trainers’ premierships in 1978-79.In each of those eight seasons he trained between 100 and 150 winners, and one year he trained 34 Metropolitan winners – then a record for a country trainer.
His first Group 1 winner was Food For Thought, who also finished second in the Golden Slipper in 1981.
Proud Knight won a San Domenico Stakes and a Challenge Stakes while Blazing Fonteyne, Alart and Bagelle were also outstanding gallopers.
Farrell was inducted into the Newcastle Jockey Club Hall of Fame in 2021.
Photo Credit: Newcastle Herald/Max Mason-Hubers