Tragic jockey Michael Byrne remembered as ‘life and soul of the party’ in touching tribute from best pal Aidan Coleman

LATE jockey Michael Byrne has been remembered as the ‘life and soul of the party’ by best mate and former weighing room colleague Aidan Coleman.

Racing was plunged into mourning last weekend after the death of Grand National rider Byrne at the age of just 36.

SportsfileCheltenham hero Aidan Coleman paid tribute to close friend Michael Byrne after the former jockey died last weekend aged 36[/caption]

Late rider Byrne raced in the 2014 Grand National on trainer Tim Vaughan’s 66-1 outsider Golan WayAlamy

Trainer Tim Vaughan paid tribute to the Irish jockey, who rode 96 winners in Britain and his 2014 Grand National hope Golan Way, by calling him a ‘lovely kid from a lovely family’.

But recently-retired rider Coleman went into more detail about his friendship with Byrne on the Nick Luck podcast.

Coleman, who last month called time on his stellar career which included Champion Chase victory on Put The Kettle On, opened up on their close friendship and what his shock loss meant.

Speaking from the heart, Coleman said: “He was literally one of my closest friends.

“We spoke a lot and spent time together from pony racing as kids all the way through.

“Any time I’d go home he’d be the first person I’d call in and have a pint with.

“He’s going to be a big loss to a lot of people. He was very popular.

“He was the life and soul of the party and a great, kind person and great character.

“He was also a gifted rider, a very, very good jockey but, in addition to that, I would say he was as good a horseman as I have ever seen, he was great with a horse basically.

“From a young horse through to schooling, he was as good as you would see.

“He was a bit unlucky weight-wise and a couple other things… but when you saw him on the back of a horse was when he was happiest.

“He was literally as nice a person as you could meet. It’s just devastating.”

Among Byrne’s biggest wins were a Listed mares’ bumper aboard Big Time Billy at Aintree in April 2010.

While he also landed the 2014 Silver Plate at Kempton on Carole’s Destrier and partnered Take The Stand towards the end of the Cheltenham Gold Cup runner-up’s career.

Byrne stopped racing in Britain in 2016 citing financial issues and went back home to Tipperary to work for his dad Michael Snr.

He also prepared point-to-point horses for acclaimed handler Pat Doyle, who added: “Michael was very successful as a jockey and was a brilliant horseman.

“It’s very, very sad.

“He was a great guy who was involved in horses and into his football.

“He had three brothers and two sisters and all the family are very close.

“He was a wonderful young man with a wonderful family around him and he’ll be very sadly missed.”