Rachael Blackmore pays tribute to Henry de Bromhead’s son after poignant race victory

Ingenious Stroke was sent off the 100-30 joint-favourite in the hands of stable rider Rachael Blackmore.

The six-year-old came home a length winner over Final Orders and an emotional Blackmore acknowledged the ongoing sense of loss.

Blackmore said: “He did it really well, he ran around a bit at the end. It is great to get but obviously winners don’t feel the same now. We are all thinking of Jack.”

Meanwhile Six Flat fixtures have been added to the calendar in the coming weeks to compensate for meetings that have been lost in recent days.

Jack de Bromhead – son of acclaimed racehorse trainer Henry and his wife, Heather – was killed in a tragic accident two weeks ago.

Jack (13) sustained fatal injuries in an incident during an evening race in the Glenbeigh Racing Festival on Rossbeigh Beach, in Co Kerry.

At his funeral mass, Jack’s twin sister Mia said she will miss her brother’s “cheeky smile that made all my friends fall in love with you”.

She added: "Jack, you were the best brother ever, I got so lucky when you were born with me. May you Rest in Peace my beautiful brother.”

A number of symbols were brought to the altar to represent Jack’s “rich and varied” life including a riding whip, saddle, goggles, a rugby ball, Ralph Lauren togs and a hunting horn.

Butlerstown parish priest Fr Pat Fitzgerald said Jack’s funeral was an “occasion that’s heavily laden with grief and sadness".

Fr Fitzgerald said Jack was a “very talented” young man who “lived the dream” and “captured the hearts of many”.

“He was a happy, respectful, mannerly, bright young fellow who was lovely to meet. He compressed a tonne of living into his years and there was a real joy in living about him,” he earlier told RTÉ’s Morning Ireland.

"He revelled in all that was around him, the family in the home, in the yard and in the community.

“He lived the dream in many ways and that’s a consolation I think to his family to know that there was a great bliss about his life.”

Fr Fitzgerald said Jack had a “natural and intuitive understanding of horses” and would even talk “wisely to his father about them”, he added: “He talked like a veteran.”

Racing was cancelled on Friday and Saturday last week as a mark of respect following the death of the Queen and the sport will again come to a halt on Monday as the state funeral takes place.

Six meetings after reviewing the lost contests and consulting with trainers. Southwell will now stage additional fixtures on September 21 and October 9, with Chelmsford (September 22), Yarmouth (September 25), Newcastle (September 28) and Wolverhampton (September 29).