HEARTBROKEN friends and family of crash victim John Goggin say they will never forget the talented and inspirational jockey who always had a smile on his face.

The popular 20-year-old died on Saturday, days after being in a three-car crash near the Ogbourne Downs Golf Club on the A346, before midnight on Sunday, November 15.

His death came in the same week as retired champion jockey Tony McCoy, who part owns the Outside Chance in Manton and lives near Baydon, was lucky to emerge unscathed after he was also involved in a three-car crash on Wednesday, November 18, on the M4 near Swindon.

Mr Goggin was well-known for socialising in Marlborough and worked for trainer Alan King, based at Barbury Castle stables near Wroughton. He also lived nearby.

Staff were too upset this week to speak to the Gazette.

Barmaid Nella Judd, 20, of Rabley Wood View, Marlborough, became friends with Mr Goggin when she was working at The Bear in Marlborough High Street.

“He was honestly the nicest guy you could ever meet,” she said.

“He had that spark that just made it impossible to be sad around him and everyone loved him.

“He was one in a million and he will be so deeply missed by so many people.”

Mr Goggin, originally from Bantry, Ireland, dreamt of becoming a professional jockey. He trained at the Racing Academy and Centre of Education (RACE) in Kildare, Ireland and was also an amateur jockey with John Nash at the Curragh Racecourse before joining Alan King.

RACE held a memorial service yesterday for his friends and former classmates and a tribute posted online by the Jockeys Work Education and Training Scheme said: “So sad to let you all know John Goggin has lost the battle but won the race. He lived, loved and was loved. He experienced the excitement of Cheltenham."

Wiltshire Police has also renewed their witness appeal to the crash which involved Mr Goggin’s silver Toyota Corolla, a blue Audi A4 and a black Vauxhall Astra.

Four people were hurt with the driver of the Audi, who suffered multiple leg injuries, still being in hospital.

The passenger and driver of the Astra, who are both women from Bristol, suffered minor injuries. The A346 was completely closed to traffic in both directions for more than four hours to allow collision investigators to examine the scene.

Dozens of other tributes have been paid on Mr Goggin’s Facebook including one from Killian Andrews, saying: "John was a fella that everyone wanted to be around, because when you were with him you were always sure to be smiling at something he did or said. You're inspiring that you had a dream and went for it. Not a lot of people can say that."

This week, friends and family of Max Pearson, 21, a former student at St John’s in Marlborough, gathered to mark the one-year anniversary of his death in a crash at Savernake Forest.