Updated at 23.19
GRAND NATIONAL-WINNING TRAINER Mouse Morris paid an emotional tribute to his late son in an interview on last night’s Late Late Show.
The Rule The World trainer’s 30-year-old son Christopher (nicknamed Tiffer) was tragically found dead in his apartment in Argentina last June due to carbon monoxide poisoning.
“I got a message on Facebook to ring such a number,” Morris recalled. “I rang an American girl and she had to give me the bad news that there was a terrible accident. It was about 5 o’clock in the morning. I heard it but I didn’t really believe it.
“Lots of people have lost their kids, it’s not nice. I would just like to thank the way the Department of Foreign Affairs and VHI handled everything. They took everything on board. ”
Describing the double-Grand-National-winning triumph (with Rule the World and Rogue Angel emerging victorious in the English and Irish events respectively) as a “dream come true,” Morris said he felt his late son was watching out for him during the events.
As we left the house on Easter Monday for the Irish Grand National, I gave his photo a bit of a tip. I said: ‘We need a bit of help here.’
“The year before, we had looked like winning and got stuffed on the line.
“I didn’t want to ask him to work overtime but (for the English Grand National) I said: ‘We need your help again.’”
Meanwhile, Morris’ other son Jamie recalled how a girlfriend of Christopher’s flatmate had previously been feeling “a bit nauseous and dizzy” while he was out at a gig prior to the accident.
“When she went to the hospital, they thought it was just the after-effects of a car accident she’d been in,” he said.
When they came back to the apartment, nothing was said, the windows were closed, there was a leak from the water heater which caused the carbon monoxide and killed both of them.”
Jamie added that “nearly 300 people have been killed from carbon monoxide in Ireland” and urged everyone to take preventative measures against it.
“It’s a simple thing for everyone to get a carbon monoxide alarm,” he said.
“To think my brother could be alive for the sake of a €20 alarm is hard to take.”
The42 is on Snapchat! Tap the button below on your phone to add!
