It was with sadness we learned of the death, at the age of 75, of Mr Edward O’Grady, Killeens, Ballynonty, Thurles, Co. Tipperary, one of the giants of Irish National Hunt racing.
This morning, (July 28th), his family announced; “It is with profound sadness that we announce the death of Edward O’Grady, who passed away peacefully yesterday evening at St James’s Hospital, surrounded by his family”.
Mr O’Grady took over his father Willie’s training licence in 1972 and celebrated his first winner with ‘Vibrax’, latter ridden by Timmy Hyde, at Gowran Park on January 27th, 1972.
His father had purchased the yard at Ballynonty, County Tipperary in 1947.
Mr O’Grady was one of Ireland’s most successful trainer at the Cheltenham Festival, with some 18 winners to his name. He was champion jumps trainer in Ireland for four consecutive seasons between the years 1977 and 1980, and also in the mid-1990s with horses like ‘Sound Man’ and ‘Ventana Canyon’.
During his lifetime he was associated with such significant horses as ‘Golden Cygnet’ (Supreme Novices’ Hurdle 1978), ‘Sound Man’, ‘Time For A Run’, ‘Bit Of A Skite’ (Irish Grand National winner 1983), ‘Drumlargan’ (Whitbread Gold Cup winner 1983), ‘Mister Donovan’, ‘Sky’s The Limit’, ‘Prolan’, ‘Mucklemeg’, ‘Pizzaro’, ‘Flame Gun’, ‘Jack Of Trumps’, ‘Mr Midland’, ‘Loving Around’, ‘Staplestown’, ‘Back In Front’, ‘Ned Kelly’(winning 12 of his 27 races), ‘Grey Goddess’, ‘Rusty Tears’, ‘Mountrivers’, ‘Northern Game’, ‘Ventana Canyon’, ‘Sacundai’, ‘Hindhope’, ‘Hard Tarquin’ and ‘Cash & Go’ (Champions Novice Hurdle, 2011).
Mr O’Grady was closely connected with the emergence of Mr JP McManus as a leading owner, with both teaming up with ‘Shining Flame’, in 1978, to win the Galway Plate, together with other numerous big-race winners.
Mr O’Grady is predeceased by his second wife, Maria, their daughters Mimi and Rosie Mae, as well as his older children, Jonathan, Amber and Lucy.
Funeral arrangements will be announced shortly.
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