20-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Irish Daily Mirror
Derek Thompson 'absolutely thrilled' as 66-1 winner gives him 'joy' to remember
Veteran commentator Derek Thompson couldn't contain his joy following the 66-1 victory of Cheerleader, a horse he co-owns, at Redcar on Monday.
Dubbed 'Tommo', Thompson has lent his voice to some of the greatest races worldwide and remarkably became the youngest ever commentator for the Grand National at aged 22; he is set to hang up his microphone in July as he celebrates his 75th birthday.
Cheerleader, under trainer Tina Jackson—Thompson's brother Howard's partner—was expertly ridden by Jo Mason to triumph in the Join Racing TV Now Handicap.
An ecstatic Thompson shared: "It was unbelievable. I was absolutely thrilled, it was just a joy to lead the winner in.
"She's trained by Tina, my brother's partner, and the colours are my old ones that haven't been used for the best part of 40 years.
"Tina looks after them so well. Cheerleader wasn't very well last year. I was involved in the syndicate who owned her (My Future Champion) and they wanted to send her to the sales.
"Rather than do that, my wife bought her as she fell in love with her. I told her off actually! She was in tears today, watching it on TV.
"She had six months off in a field, we'd go and see her to give her carrots and apples and when Caroline shouted for her, she'd come running over from one side of the field to the other and just stand there eating everything.
"My brother Howard clocks all the horses on the gallops and a couple of days ago he rang to say she'd done a very fast time and he thought we had a chance, so we had a nice each-way at 66-1!"
