Edward O’Grady

Principal Jockey: Andrew McNamara

EdwardOGradyNotable Wins:

  • Paddy Power Gold Cup Chase (Tranquil Sea 2009)
  • Ballymore Champion Four Year Old Hurdle (Jumbo Rio 2009)
  • Hatton's Grace Hurdle (Catch Me 2008)
  • Land Rover Champion Novice Hurdle (Tranquil Sea 2008)
  • Durkan New Homes Novice Chase (Sky’s The Limit 2007)
  • Drinmore Novice Chase (Sky’s The Limit 2007, Sound Man 1994, Billy Drummer 1976)
  • vcbet.com Champion Novice Hurdle (Clopf 2007, Ned Kelly 2001, Settle It 1978, Deep Gale 1980)
  • Dr. P.J. Moriarty Novice Chase (Pizarro 2004)
  • Bula Hurdle (Back In Front 2004)
  • Aintree Hurdle (Sacundai 2003)
  • Morgiana Hurdle (Back In Front 2003, Northern Game 1984)
  • Supreme Novice Hurdle (Back In Front 2003, Golden Cygnet 1978)
  • Cheltenham Champion Bumper (Pizarro 2002, Mucklemeg 1994)
  • AIG Europe Champion Hurdle (Ned Kelly 2002)
  • Arkle Trophy (Ventana Canyon 1996)
  • Swordlestown Cup (Ventana Canyon 1996)
  • Tingle Creek Chase (Sound Man 1996 + 1995)
  • Fortria Chase (Sound Man 1995, Blitzkreig 1990)
  • Power Gold Cup (Blitzkreig 1990, Golden Lancer 1975)
  • Denny Gold Medal Chase (Blitzkreig 1989)
  • Kerry National (Caddy 1989)
  • Triumph Hurdle (Northern Game 1984)
  • Whitbread Gold Cup (Drumlargan 1983)
  • Irish Grand National (Bit Of A Skite 1983)
  • Sun Alliance Novice Hurdle (Mister Donovan 1982, Drumlargan 1980)
  • Galway Plate (Rugged Lucy 1981, Hindhope 1979, Shining Flame 1978)
  • World Stayers Hurdle (Mountrivers 1980, Flame Gun 1978)
  • Galway Hurdle (Proud Tarquin 1979)
  • Punchestown Champion Bumper (Native Duke 1979)
  • Durkan Brothers Chase (Jack Of Trumps 1979 + 1978)
  • Punchestown Champion Stayers Hurdle (Mountrivers 1979, So 1974)
  • Arkle Challenge Cup (Kilmakillogue 1978)

60 Seconds With Edward O’Grady:

Q: What has been the most memorable win of your career?
A: Drumlargan in the Whitbread Gold Cup in 1983.

Q: Who was or is the best rider over jumps you have seen?
A: Richard Dunwoody

Q: If you had not become a trainer, what would you have been?
A: Rich!

Q: What is the most naturally talented horse you have trained?
A: Golden Cygnet

Q: If you had some advice for a young trainer, what would it be?
A: Take up another profession!


Edward O’Grady has long been established as one of Ireland’s leading National Hunt trainers and training race horses is very much in his blood. His father, Willie, was crowned Champion Jockey in Ireland in 1934 and 1935, those being the days when Flat and jumps wins were combined. Willie then started training in 1940 and in 1947 he bought the yard at Ballynonty in Co. Tipperary where his son is currently based.

Edward rode his first point-to-point winner at the tender age of 13. Having left school, he went on to attend veterinary college in Dublin, but his studies were cut short when his father became seriously ill in 1972 and the 21-year-old was left in charge of the yard. Willie died the following year and any thoughts in Edward’s mind of returning to finish his studies soon evaporated.   

Soon after taking over the license, O’Grady garnered a formidable reputation for having his charge’s at fever pitch for the Cheltenham Festival and his record at the meeting is unrivalled in the current era. With a total of 18 winners, O’Grady is the most successful living Irish trainer at the Festival. His first winner at the Festival came with Mr Midland in the National Hunt Chase in 1974 and from 1976 to 1984, there was only one Festival meeting at Prestbury Park that a horse trained by O’Grady failed to enter the winner’s enclosure. Undoubtedly the pick of those winners was the mighty hurdler, Golden Cygnet. Having proved a quirky performer on the Flat, he proved an altogether different proposition over hurdles, winning the Supreme Novice Hurdle at Cheltenham in 1978 by no less than 15 lengths in immensely impressive fashion. He then won easily at Fairyhouse and was sent over for the Scottish Champion Hurdle where he was opposed by two of the all time great hurdlers, Sea Pigeon and Night Nurse. Such was the opinion Golden Cygnet was held in, he was sent off as the joint-favourite with Sea Pigeon and he looked to be going best of all when taking a heavy fall at the last. While all initially seemed to be well with him, he tragically suffered a brain haemorrhage and died a few days later.

While that was a tragic loss for the yard, the worsening economic situation in Ireland combined with O’Grady opting to concentrate on Flat rather than National Hunt horses saw the yard descend into something of a slump with no notable stars emanating from Ballynonty for a number of years. While Northern Game won the Triumph Hurdle at Cheltenham in 1984, after that O’Grady had to wait a decade to re-enter the Cheltenham winner’s enclosure with Time For A Run winning the Coral Cup Handicap Hurdle and Mucklemeg winning the Champion Bumper.

The star performer in the O’Grady yard during the mid-90’s was unquestionably Sound Man. A dual bumper winner that was a useful novice hurdler in 1993/4, he didn’t begin to reach his full potential until being sent over fences the following season. His busy novice chase campaign saw him win the Grade 1 Drinmore Novice Chase as well as finishing in the frame in three other Grade 1 events. 1995/6 saw him win his first five races of the season including the Grade 1 Tingle Creek Trophy Chase at Sandown and the Grade 1 Comet Chase at Ascot. His other three runs that year saw the ultra consistent performer finish in the frame in Grade 1 events at the Cheltenham, Aintree and Punchestown Festivals. The 1996/7 season would prove to be his final campaign, but he went out with a bang, winning three of his five starts including a memorable second win in the Tingle Creek Chase at Sandown.

O’Grady’s first top-flight performer of the new millennium was the John Magnier-owned Ned Kelly. A dual bumper winner, he won his first seven races over hurdles in impressive fashion, with the highlight coming in the Grade 1 Winning Fair Champion Novice Hurdle at the Fairyhouse Easter Festival. He first met with defeat over hurdles in the autumn of 2001 when he twice found the incomparable Limestone Lad too good for him, but he returned to winning ways in no uncertain terms when winning the Grade 1 AIG Europe Champion Hurdle at Leopardstown later that season. That would prove to be his last victory at Grade 1 level as injury intervened after his comeback run in 2002/3 and a two year absence followed. He made a comeback and was sent over fences in 2004/5 and while he managed to finish in the frame in a handful of Grade 1 novice chases, he failed to rediscover his old spark. Following another absence of a year, Ned Kelly made yet another comeback, this time in the point-to-point field. Having won two points, he contested the top hunter chases at the Cheltenham, Aintree and Punchestown Festivals, finishing third in the first and last named events. The now 13-year-old recently made yet another comeback when finishing third in an open point-to-point at Milltown and who knows, he could yet add to his burgeoning tally of wins at this veteran stage of his career.

The 2002 renewal of the Cheltenham Champion Bumper is widely regarded as being one of the best bumper ever run and Edward O’Grady provided both the winner and the third horse home, namely Pizarro and Back In Front. The former went on to win a Grade 3 novice hurdle and a brace of Grade 1 novice chases before his jumping frailties proved to be his undoing at the highest level. The latter proved himself as an exceptional hurdler, winning the Grade 1 Supreme Novice Hurdle by no less than 10 lengths before following up in the Grade 1 Evening Herald Champion Novice Hurdle at the Punchestown Festival and narrowly been denied a notable Festival double just three days later when being narrowly beaten in the Grade 1 Emo Oil Champion Hurdle. The following season saw him win the Morgiana Hurdle in good style before a heart murmur saw him ruled out for the remainder of the season. He returned to his brilliant best to beat Inglis Drever in the 2004 totesport Bula Hurdle at Cheltenham, but that would prove to be his last win at Graded level as he failed to recapture his best over hurdles and while he won twice over fences, he never reached the heights in that sphere that his hurdles form suggested he might.

In more recent seasons, Sky’s The Limit has been one of the star performer in the O’Grady yard. A lightly raced winning juvenile hurdler in 2004/5, the French-bred improved markedly during 2005/6, winning three races over hurdles with the highlight undoubtedly coming when he defied a multitude of historical biases to absolutely bolt up off top weight in the Grade 3 Coral Cup Handicap Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival under Barry Geraghty. Following a quiet 18 months after that win, he came good over fences in 2007/8, winning the Grade 1 Ballymore Properties Drinmore Novice Chase at Fairyhouse and the Grade 1Durkan New Homes Novice Chase at Leopardstown. Unfortunately, the grey gelding has failed to recapture the same form since, but he has been a lucrative servant to his connections and does not owe anybody anything.

Catch Me has been another lucrative performer for O’Grady in recent years, winning four Grade 2 events over hurdles as well as a coveted Grade 1 success in the Hatton's Grace Hurdle at Fairyhouse in November 2008. The seven-year-old has had his attentions turned to chasing this season and despite having fallen on his most recent outing in that sphere, he can be expected to bounce back and make up into a high-class performer over the larger obstacles.

Another more recent Grade 1-winner over hurdles for O’Grady was Jumbo Rio, who proved himself to be the top juvenile hurdler in Ireland in 2008/9 winning the Ballymore Champion Four Year Old Hurdle at the Punchestown Festival. The four-year-old has already shown that he can hold his own in open company this season and almost gained a second win at the highest level when reverting to his own age group in the Prix Renaud du Vivier at Auteuil in November.

However, the star performer in O’Grady’s yard at the moment is unquestionably Tranquil Sea. He progressed into one of Ireland’s top novice hurdlers in 2007/8, capping a productive season with a win in the Grade 1 Land Rover Champion Novice Hurdle at the Punchestown Festival. While his first season over fences produced just one win in a listed event at Cork, this season the now seven-year-old has returned to his very best in no uncertain terms. He made an impressive return to action when winning the Grade 3 Poplar Square Chase at Naas in late-October and despite being penalised for that win, he was sent off the strong favourite to become the first Irish-trained winner of the Paddy Power Gold Cup at Cheltenham since 1980. Ridden by Andrew McNamara, the son of Sea Raven was always travelling powerfully, leading after the third last fence and always looking in command thereafter, eventually coming home 4½ lengths to the good, much to the delight of the crowd.

Now that the penny has dropped with Tranquil Sea over fences, a return to Grade 1 company looks imminent and along with Catch Me, Jumbo Rio, Osana, Solstice Knight and Judge Roy Bean, Edward O’Grady looks to have a formidable team at his disposal for the remainder of the campaign. Indeed, such has been the success he has enjoyed in the first half of the season, 2009/10 could well prove to be O’Grady’s best campaign in well over a decade, which is a remarkable thought given the success this top-class trainer has enjoyed over the years.

Updated November 2009.