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‘An amazing trainer' – JP McManus & Ruby Walsh pay heartfelt tributes to Edward O'Grady at Galway Races

‘An amazing trainer' – JP McManus & Ruby Walsh pay heartfelt tributes to Edward O'Grady at Galway Races

The Irish Sun4 days ago
JP McManus and Ruby Walsh led tributes to legendary trainer Edward O'Grady on day one of the Galway Races Festival.
A shadow was cast over Monday's card when word emerged of
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O'Grady was the pre-eminent Irish force at Cheltenham before Willie Mullins
Credit: PA
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He and McManus went way back together
Credit: @RTETwo
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Walsh paid him a fitting tribute at the outset of RTE's coverage from Galway
Credit: @RTETwo
Jockey great Walsh acknowledged that reality
He stated: "Unfortunately, the week has begun on a sombre note as we learnt this morning of the passing of legendary trainer Edward O'Grady.
"He trained his first winner back in 1972...53 years as a trainer is a lifetime given to this sport and may he rest in peace."
Billionaire owner McManus had a long working relationship with O'Grady which he reflected on with
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The 74-year-old recalled: "He was an amazing trainer. I went to him for the first time in 1978 with the second horse I ever owned - Jack of Trumps.
"He did a great job with him...One thing I have to say about Edward is he was always very good to his staff - very kind to everybody."
The Limerick native added: "He'll be missed. He was a great judge of a horse and on top of that he looked after everyone who worked for him so well."
O'Grady was known as The King of Cheltenham before
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And he is also partly responsible for the rise of James Bond hero
O'Grady himself hit the big time when he teamed up with McManus to land a huge punt at the Festival in 1982. He trained the first of more than 80 McManus Cheltenham winners in the shape of Mister Donavan.
Legendary horse trainer Edward O'Grady dies aged 75 just days after saddling his final runner
A fearsome punter, McManus said he won more than £250,000 backing his horse over and over for what is now the Turners Novices' Hurdle.
In today's money the victory would be worth more than £1.1million.
O'Grady masterminded 18 Cheltenham Festival winners from his Tipperary base in all, his victories coming in the days when British trainers still dominated.
His most famous horses included the likes of Golden Cygnet, who many said was the greatest hurdler of all time despite his only season over obstacles ending in tragedy.
Dubbed 'the horse of the century', he won the 1978 Supreme Novices' Hurdle at Cheltenham before suffering a fatal fall in the Scottish Champion Hurdle at Ayr, cruelly cutting short the career over a horse O'Grady said was 'the most talented I ever trained'.
Gay Future, Native Upmanship, Ned Kelly, Back In Front and Tranquil Sea were other big O'Grady horses.
O'Grady, who also enjoyed success as a Flat trainer having been forced to switch when farming troubles hit Ireand, was saddling horses right up until his death.
His final ever runner was Sovereign Banter who ran at Cork last Friday night - mere weeks after his last winner, Our Soldier, earlier this month.
PERSONAL TRAGEDIES
Trainer Fergal O'Brien was among the first to pay tribute to a trailblazer in the sport, writing on X: "One of the very best. Sad news."
This is the second death to hit racing in as many weeks, after a
Despite his success on the track, tragedy was never too far away from O'Grady's personal life.
His first wife Judy passed away in 2010, seven years before second wife Maria was killed in a fall.
O'Grady later remarried and leaves behind wife Kay and children Jonathan, Amber, Lucy, Mimi and Rosie Mae.
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