Career highs were tough to bring back for tragic Michael

Michael Curran, who was 54, enjoyed a fantastic few years with top horses Kingman and Golden Horn, winning the Pride of Racing stable staff award in 2014.

However, his distaught family said this week that he unfortunately struggled with life after those incredible highs.

His proudest moment was when he was able to get his then 70-year-old mother Lily tickets to see Kingman win the St James’ Palace Stakes at Royal Ascot, which he said made the day “so special”.

Lily, and Michael’s brother Welsh spoke to us today as they were collecting Michael’s belongings from Newmarket and arranging to bring him home to lay him to rest next to his father.

Lily told us: “It’s my worst nightmare. Nobody wants to bury their child.”

And Welsh paid tribute to his brother, saying: “Michael loved working with the horses.

“Those years with Kingman and Golden Horn were the happiest of his life.

“But when that time went away, he couldn’t get it back.”

Michael was schooled at St Margaret’s primary and Galashiels Academy, and was dead set on a career with horses.

He told us in 2015: “It was the love of the common ridings that made me choose a career in horseracing.

“I don’t know how long I’ll be able to keep on doing it, but I think it’s keeping me young.”

His love for the Borders Common Ridings remained strong, and when his work schedules allowed, he returned home to ride in them.

He initially worked for Hawick-based Harry Bell before moving on to Barry Hills’ stable at Manton in the 1980s, where he got a taste of the big time when looking after champion horse Handsome Sailor.

Despite being a wee lad, his eight-stone weight was not conducive to a career as a jockey, but he found looking after his charges just as fulfilling.

He was later employed by his long-time friend, jockey Darryll Holland, as a driver, before going to work with Mr Gosden, with whom he helped Kingman to his four group one races in 2014, and Golden Horn to wins in the Derby and the Prix De l’Arc Triomphe the following year.

As he led the horses into the winners’ enclosure, his beaming smile was testament to what these victories meant to him.

After picking up his Pride of Racing award, he told us: “It felt really good to be appreciated for what we do day in day out. We do work long hours and only get every other weekend off.

“The winters are not great, but working with livestock means they need looked after.

“This year has been very special, what with the horse doing so well and now this.”

Two years ago, he left Mr Gosden’s stables.

Tributes have been paid by many figures in the world of horseracing, friends, jockeys and trainers, including top jockey Frankie Dettori.

Racing Welfare’s director of welfare Simone Sear said the organisation was “deeply saddened” to hear of Michael’s death.