First winner: Dromineer (Ruby Walsh) Killarney, May 18, 1996
Significant horses (selected): Kicking King, Finger Onthe Pulse, Ninetieth Minute, Delphi Lodge, Emotional Moment, Solar System, Merdeka, Glenfinn Captain, Cane Brake, Tumbling Dice, In The High Grass, Treacle, Argocat, Peoples Park, Riders Onthe Storm.Â
Assoc. jockeys: Mark Walsh, Andrew Lynch, Bryan Cooper, Pat Taaffe
Did you know: Â
Tom Taaffe comes from one of Ireland's best-known National Hunt families in Ireland - his grandfather, also Tom, trained Aintree Grand National winner Mr What in 1958 and his own late father Pat rode the mighty Arkle and also trained many Grade 1 winners including Captain Christy, winner of the Cheltenham Gold Cup and twice a winner of the King George VI Chase.
Tom enjoyed a fine career as a jockey himself, enjoying no shortage of big-race winners, many of them shared with Arthur Moore. One of his biggest wins as a jockey came on Brittany Boy in the 1987 Irish Grand National at Fairyhouse. During his riding career he rode over 400 winners.
After retiring from the saddle, Tom began training in 1994. One of his first big winners was Delphi Lodge in the 1998 Power Gold Cup at the Fairyhouse Easter Meeting but his greatest success has come at the Cheltenham Festival where he is a three-time winner. His greatest moment undoubtedly came in 2005 when Kicking King landed the Bulmers Cheltenham Gold Cup with Barry Geraghty in the saddle. Three years later, Finger Onthe Pulse (Barry Geraghty) won the Close Brothers Novices’ Handicap Chase and in 2009 Ninetieth Minute (Paddy Flood) landed the Coral Cup. Kicking King also won the 2004 and 2005 King George VI Chase at Kempton.Â
Punchestown Guinness Gold Cup (Grade 1) (Kicking King - B.J. Geraghty - 2005)
www.thetote.com Galway Plate (Grade A) (Finger Onthe Pulse - A.P. McCoy - 2010)
Paddy Power S'chase (Grade B) (Cane Brake - A.B. Joyce - 2006)
Ladbrokes.com Munster National H'cap Sch (Grade A) (Treacle - P. Townend - 2009)
williamhill.ie Troytown H'cap S'chase (Grade B) (Cane Brake - B.J. Geraghty - 2006)
John Durkan Mem. Punchestown S'chase (Grade 1) (Kicking King - B.J. Geraghty - 2004)
Baileys Arkle Perp.Chall.Cup Novice S'ch (Grade 1) (Kicking King - B.J. Geraghty - 2004)
Freephone Stanley 08081001221 H'cap H'dl (Emotional Moment - N. Williamson - 2002)
Clonmel Oil S'chase (Grade 2) (Glenfinn Captain - B.J. Geraghty - 2008)
O'Connell Logistics Hilly Way S'chase (Grade 2) (Tumbling Dice - S.M. McGovern - 2006)
Dunboyne Castle Hotel & Spa Novice H'dle (Grade 2) (Glenfinn Captain - A.P. McCoy - 2006)
Bar-One Racing Johnstown Novice H'dle (Grade 2) (Merdeka - B.J. Geraghty - 2006)
McCabe Builders Ltd Boyne H'dle (Grade 3) (Emotional Moment - B.J. Geraghty - 2005)
woodiesdiy.com Christmas H'dle (Grade 2) (Emotional Moment - B.J. Geraghty - 2004)
National Lottery Agent Champion S'chase (Grade 2) (Kicking King - B.J. Geraghty - 2004)
Paddy Fitzpatrick Memorial Novice S'chse (Grade 3) (Emotional Moment - B.J. Geraghty - 2004)
McCabe Builders Ltd Boyne H'dle (Grade 2) (Emotional Moment - B.J. Geraghty - 2003)
Byrne Group Plc Novice H'dle (Kicking King - B.J. Geraghty - 2003)
Red Mills S'chase (Grade 2) (Glenfinn Captain - M.P. Walsh - 2009)
EasyFix H'cap S'chase (Grade B) (Peoples Park - M.P. Walsh - 2016)
*Statistics are up to close of business the previous day. Prize-money is allocated within 1 week of the race date (allow 1 week for Prize-money).
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