Tom O'Brien, Welsh Grand National winner, dies aged 39

Tom O'Brien, the Welsh Grand National-winning jockey, has died at the age of 39 after being diagnosed with cancer, the BBC reported on 11 November 2026.

He passed 1,000 winners in Britain and Ireland in 2021 and had won twice at the Cheltenham Festival as well as the Welsh Grand National on two occasions. The Irishman was the nephew of trainer Aidan O'Brien and became a mainstay of the Minehead operation run by Philip Hobbs after joining the yard as a teenager, remaining there until his retirement in 2023.

Riding the Hobbs-trained Thyme Hill, O'Brien won the Liverpool Hurdle in 2021 and the Kauto Star Novices' Chase in 2022.

British Horseracing Authority (BHA) chief executive Brant Dunshea said: "He touched countless lives on both sides of the Irish Sea, bringing joy to everyone who had the privilege of knowing him and watching what he did best, on and off the racecourse. Tom was held in the highest esteem and meant so much to so many people across our sport, who benefitted from his kindness and loyal friendship. He will be hugely missed and his loss is immensely difficult to process. The racing family is distraught, but I know how we will all rally round to provide each other with support, comfort and to remember Tom as we knew him best: a brilliant jockey, a valued colleague, a loyal friend and above all a loving husband and devoted father."

Philip Hobbs, who now shares Minehead with Johnson White, said: "It's very sad, particularly for his wife Hayley and two young children. He came to our yard from Ireland having not ridden in a race, but it soon became obvious he was pretty talented. He was always very reliable and a very good bloke. There's lots of good memories and there were lots of winners. I'd kept in touch with Tom since his retirement as he only lived half an hour away. He was only in our yard about three weeks ago."

After ending his racing career, O'Brien joined the BHA stewarding team.