Mangan: De Bromhead news 'hard to digest'

RTÉ Racing presenter Jane Mangan paid tribute to the late Jack de Bromhead, saying the that the young jockey was a "future star".

The 13-year-old died in an accident at Glenbeigh races in Co Kerry on Saturday.

In a statement on Sunday, the family said Jack was "not only the perfect, funny, loving son but also an incredible, loving brother to our beautiful daughters, his twin sister Mia and his little sister, Georgia".

"He always had their back and was fiercely loyal and kind. Our hearts are truly broken."

Speaking to Morning Ireland earlier today, Mangan said the news was "very hard to digest" when it emerged on Saturday afternoon.

"Like everyone else, you're trying to process it. I know when the news started to break around the industry on Saturday afternoon, it was very hard to digest.

"Accidents and tragedies are unavoidable. But when you think of a child and a child's family, it's really tough.

"It puts everything into perspective. We've a lot of complaints in everyday life, professional and personal. But it doesn't get any harder than this and you couldn't but be thinking of the family at a time like this."

Jack was a son of the famed Waterford horse trainer Henry de Bromhead and was interviewed by RTÉ Racing's Brian Gleeson at Punchestown, discussing Honeysuckle, the two-time Champion Hurdle winning mare ahead of her final race.

"It's hard to believe he was 13 listening to that clip back in April. That was before she (Honeysuckle) went out for her final race in Punchestown. He was already making his own impact on the industry, hard to believe at such a young age. He was a regular beside his Dad at the races.

"You could see he was so engulfed by the sport and so passionate about his horses. In the pony racing circuit, he was