Former trainer Peter Easterby, winner of two Cheltenham Gold Cups, dies aged 95
He was succeeded by his son, Tim, while his brother Mick still shares a licence today with his own son, David, with many other members of the family involved in racing.
Tim Easterby announced on X: "It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of my father Peter Easterby.
"He passed away peacefully in his own home with his family by his side.
"A true gentleman, legendary racehorse trainer, passionate farmer, lover of country sports and an incredibly proud father and grandfather."
Sea Pigeon and Night Nurse were both dual Champion Hurdle winners, while Easterby also won two Gold Cups with Alverton in 1979 and Little Owl in 1981.
Proving his versatility, Easterby sent out Sea Pigeon to win the Ebor off top weight and the Chester Cup twice, while Night Nurse finished second to Little Owl in the Gold Cup, narrowly failing to become the first horse to win the two biggest prizes at the Cheltenham Festival.
Saucy Kit was another Champion Hurdle winner in 1967 for Easterby and for a time his five wins in the race were a record.
His notable Flat triumphs included the Kings's Stand Stakes with Goldhill, the Gimcrack with Sonnen Gold, two Lincolns and three Ayr Gold Cups.
Easterby, a cousin of former Irish rugby players Simon and Guy Easterby, sent out over 2,500 winners during his lengthy career and Tim Easterby is still based at Habton Grange.
Jonjo O'Neill was crowned champion jockey twice in 1977-78 and 1978-79 with the help of Easterby and he was aboard Alverton for his Gold Cup success and Sea Pigeon for his 1980 Champion Hurdle win.
"We had some great times together, he was great man to ride for and we were very lucky together - you could say we were a good partnership," said O'Neill.
"He was a great man and a great trainer, what he did with the likes of Sea Pigeon and Night Nurse - their longevity was incredible. And to win a Gold Cup with Alverton, he didn't have great legs.
"It's hard to pick out one particular race. I think the best thing you could say was that he could train a horse to win over five furlongs or 25 miles. He was just a genius and a great man to ride for.
"He just understood the game and understood horses, he had a great eye for them and made it easy for everyone. He was brilliant, there was always another day in his eyes."
O'Neill missed the 1981 Cheltenham Festival through injury and John Francome was called up to replace him on the then 11-year-old Sea Pigeon when he produced an ice-cool ride that went down in history.
Francome said: "I saw Tim [Easterby] last Thursday up at Malton at Jack Berry's do and he said he wasn't very well then, but he was an amazing guy.
"It's amazing to train 1,000 winners on the Flat and jumping, you never saw him when he wasn't smiling, he was as sharp as a tack and lovely with it - he was a charming man."
Reflecting on Sea Pigeon's 1981 Champion Hurdle triumph, Francome added: "Jonjo broke his leg really badly in a fall at Bangor, so I got the call.
"Peter was always relaxed. I remember going in the paddock at Cheltenham and saying 'how is he?' because I'd never ridden him out or anything, and Peter just said 'he's better than he was last year' and he was absolutely right.
"I never sat down and discussed it with him. He trained him, he was the best horse and that was it.
"He was an easy horse to ride and the best horse in the race by some way."
Mick Easterby hailed the many training accomplishments of his brother via his website and concluded by saying: "Peter touched the lives of so many people. He will be greatly missed by the family and the many friends he made both in the racing and farming communities."
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Irish Sun
a day ago
- The Irish Sun
Willie Mullins left ‘shocked' as iconic Thurles Racecourse shuts down after nearly 300 years
THE legendary Willie Mullins has expressed his shock at the sudden closure of Thurles Racecourse. Kilkenny horse training icon Advertisement 2 Thurles racecourse permanently closed on Friday after a shock announcement confirmed the news 2 Iconic Trainer Willie Mullins was shocked and saddened by the sudden news of the track's closure The iconic trainer, who has saddled over 250 winners at the County Tipperary venue reacted to Friday's announcement that Ireland's last privately-owned racecourse would Speaking to PA, Mullins said: 'It was a major shock this morning to hear the news. "It will be a huge blow for Irish racing, more specifically Irish jump racing and winter jump racing. "Thurles is a track that always had beautiful ground in the winter when other tracks couldn't. Advertisement read more on racing "It's the last family-run track in Ireland, I believe. Pierce Molony ran it for years, his father ran it before him and Riona - and family have run it since Pierce died - and they've been fantastic for the Irish jump fraternity over the years.' Thurles, which held its first recorded meeting in 1732, has been owned and operated by the Molony family since the early 20th century. Thurles was famed for being able to handle any conditions, especially in the depth of the Irish winter. Its biggest race of the season also had a knack for producing Gold Cup winners at Advertisement Most read in Horse Racing And earlier in the day, She said: "It has been an honour and a privilege for our family to have run Thurles Racecourse, and I am officially announcing our retirement today. Match of the Day host Gabby Logan cheers on jockey daughter, Lois, as she makes racing debut at Goodwood "We are very proud of the immense contribution our family has made to racing, and we are most grateful to our extended racecourse family, our dedicated staff, generous sponsors, loyal patrons and the wider racing community for all your support. "Horseracing is part of the fabric of our family, and we have been very fortunate to have made so many great friends within the industry over the years. Advertisement "My family and I look forward to going racing with you again, as spectators. "Since my beloved husband Pierce passed away in 2015, with the help of our four daughters Patricia, Helen, Ann Marie and Kate and our wonderful staff, we've managed to keep the show on the road and I know he would be very proud of us for that. "The girls all have their own families, careers and lives to live. "Ever increasing industry demands and the cost of doing business has also been a major factor. Advertisement "We're going to enjoy this time together and relax now the decision is made and the news is out before we consider our options."
RTÉ News
a day ago
- RTÉ News
Shock and sadness at Thurles Racecourse closure
Members of the horse racing community in Tipperary have been expressing their shock and sadness at the news that Thurles Racecourse is to close with immediate effect. The Molony family cited ever increasing industry demands as a reason for their decision and thanked their "extended racecourse family" for their support over the years. In a statement, Horse Racing Ireland said they will meet the family to discuss their position and consider their options. Thurles Racecourse is Ireland's only privately-owned track and is considered a cornerstone of National Hunt Racing in the industry. It has been in the hands of the Molony family since the early 1900s. But today Riona Molony said she and her four daughters had kept the show on the road for ten years since the passing of husband and father Pierce. In a statement, the family said it was a privilege and an honour to run Thurles Racecourse but the cost of doing business was a major factor in their decision. Nearby at the Horse and Jockey Hotel, news of the closure was still being processed. Marye Blundell is a former horse trainer. "I think it's terribly sad. It was so well run, and a credit to Pierce's family for the way they ran it. The ground was always right, you know. "I don't think they ever had to cancel a race meeting. I mean, that's a terrific achievement in my eyes." Marye then turned on her heel before adding: "Now, I don't want to say anymore. I've said enough. "I think the Molony family are brilliant people. And I just hope the track survives and stays open in the future." A young Anthony McCoy rode the first of his 4,358 winners at Thurles on 26 March 1992 when he won on Legal Steps for Jim Bolger. Rachael Blackmore enjoyed her first winner there on 10 February 2011 when she won on Stowaway Pearl for Shark Hanlon before going on to take the sport by storm. Over the years many Cheltenham Festival winners have also won and raced at the track, including two-time Champion Hurdle winner Honeysuckle, Champion Chase winner Newmill and Gold Cup hero Sizing John. Today in Tipperary, former National Hunt jockey Charlie Swan, best known for his three Champion Hurdles wins with the horse Istabraq, said Thurles Racecourse had been very good to him and his family. "Yeah, I mean, Thurles Racecourse was a very lucky track for me. I rode a lot of winners there. I'm sort of shocked to hear that it's closing down. "It's a great track, you know, especially in the winter, when the ground is heavy everywhere else. The ground is always nice in Thurles and the Molony family, they've run it so well you know, all these years, and it'll be very, very sadly missed. "It was one track that always brought a crowd, everybody loved to go to Thurles. It's very sad." Charlie said he lives just 30 minutes away and hopes that racing will continue there. "Of course, I would, you know it's always been a great track to me and my family. So, yeah, I'd love to see it stay open." Tom Egan is the proprietor of the Horse and Jockey Hotel. "It's been going for hundreds of years. It's part of Thurles, it's part of this area, part of this hotel. We'll sadly miss the course, and we have all the memories of the course over the years. "They're all the good times and looking out on cold winter days and looking over to the Devil's Bit mountain." Tom shook his head sadly and wiped his eye. "Ah 'tis a nostalgic place. It was such a homely track. I think this became homely because of the family running it. "Everybody felt part of it all, and it's just a real sad occasion." Tom Egan said that ongoing regulations were a big part of the decision by the Molony family to close. "Family businesses can't afford a lot of the regulations that have been brought in now. The Molony family did an awful lot of work in the last five or six years since Pierce died. "Pierce is dead over ten years, and they put in a great effort there. And they did up the parade ring, did up all the stable yards, did up all the course, put in post and railings and the place is looking absolutely magnificent. "But then people wanted them do more and more and more. And really, it's just, it's just without help, it's virtually impossible. "Obviously, we'd love to see the track going on, but it's a complete decision of the Molony family. "They own it, you know. And I wouldn't like them to be forced into anything. It's their place and that should be respected." Thurles Racecourse is licensed to race until the end of this year with 11 prominent fixtures in the 2025/26 racing calendar but those meetings will not now go ahead Riona Molony said the family had made their decision and they looked forward now to relaxing and being spectators. In a statement, Horse Racing Ireland said it had invited the family to a meeting in the coming weeks to discuss their position and consider options.
Irish Daily Mirror
a day ago
- Irish Daily Mirror
Shockwaves from Thurles closure are threat to thousands who work in Irish racing
What have Rachael Blackmore and AP McCoy got in common? Apart from being trailblazing and record-breaking Grand National and Gold Cup winning Irish born jockeys, they both rode their first winners at Thurles racecourse. McCoy's came on Lethal Steps for Jim Bolger in 1992 at the age of 17 while the recently retired Blackmore got off the mark in 2011 on Stowaway Pearl for Shark Hanlon. It's a snapshot of just how important and significant the small and rustic Thurles racecourse has been in Irish racing for many years. The breaking news on Friday morning that the popular track in the Tippearary town is to close its doors with immediate effect has sent shockwaves through the sport of horse racing in Ireland. It's a venue held fondly by so many people. While glamorous venues like the Curragh, Punchestown and Leopardstown are regularly seen hosting Grade 1 and Group 1 action on television, rural racecourses like Thurles are at the centre at the grassroots of Irish racing. Losing a venue like Thurles is a big blow. They raced 10 times a year and long before Dundalk's polytrack surface was in place it was considered Ireland's first all-weather racecourse because of the ground's ability to take rain. Ironically that has also led to problems in recent times, dryer winters and lack of a watering system has meant that several meetings have had to be cancelled because of ground too firm for jumping. A day's racing in Thurles was all about the horses and the people taking part. There were no corporate boxes or champagne tents at Thurles, it was the salt of the earth. Thurles on a Thursday is synonymous with Irish National Hunt racing. In recent times top class horses like Don Cossack, Sizing John, Honeysuckle and Allaho all won there before big wins at Cheltenham. It'll be badly missed. Bryan Cooper after winning the Kinloch Brae Chase at Thurles on Don Cossack (Image: ©INPHO/Morgan Treacy) Sadly the track and the Molony family, that privately managed and owned it, endured their darkest day earlier this year when jockey Michael O'Sullivan sadly died from injuries sustained in a fall at their fixture on February 6th. It was a devastating time for everyone in Irish racing but it shook the Thurles family hard and they rightly cancelled the next meeting due to take place as a mark of respect. Thurles is now the first racecourse in Ireland to close its doors since 2008 when Tralee was sold for development and these are worrying times for the sport. The Molony family's decision to retire is perhaps an indication of the sign of the times and just how difficult and stressful it is running an entertainment business at present in Ireland. Costs are spiralling out of control, people have less money in their pockets and the demands on staff are very tough. Thurles had their licence to race for 2025/26 season but they just didn't have the appetite to go on. In their statement on Friday morning they cited the 'ever-increasing industry demands and the cost of doing business' as being a major factor in their decision. The massive concern now for Irish racing is could this be a catalyst for more closures. The State run Horse Racing Ireland owns and operates Fairyhouse, Leopardstown, Navan and Tipperary Racecourses. But other smaller venues are Limited companies or venues run by various bodies and boards and the reliance on money from the media rights is keeping the show on the road in the main. The shortage of land for badly-needed housing has also made racecourses attractive sites for development. Only this year it was announced that 800 new homes will be built on a site at Leopardstown racecourse – although the action on the track won't be affected. All in all, it makes for potential choppy waters for the sport and the many thousands who work in the racing industry.
