seamus dubhghaill

Promoting Irish Culture and History from Little Rock, Arkansas, USA

Tag Archives: Cheltenham Gold Cup


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Birth of Michael “Mouse” Morris, Racehorse Trainer & Jockey

Michael Francis Leo Morris, Irish racehorse trainer and former amateur and professional jockey informally known as “Mouse” Morris, is born on April 4, 1951, in Spiddal, County Galway. As a trainer, he has won the Grand National and the Cheltenham Gold Cup, and has won the Irish Grand National twice. In 2016, he wins both the Grand National and Irish Grand National. He is formally known as the Honourable Michael Morris.

Morris is the third son of Michael Morris, 3rd Baron Killanin, who is president of the International Olympic Committee from 1972 to 1980 and Chairman of Ballybrit Racecourse from 1970 to 1985. His mother, Sheila, is the daughter of Canon Douglas Dunlop, Rector of Oughterard and the granddaughter of Henry Dunlop who is involved in the construction of  Lansdowne Road in 1872. During World War II his mother is a cryptographer at Bletchley Park. According to Morris, “she was in Hut 6, but she wouldn’t ever talk about it. Neither of them would talk about the war. She was bound by the Official Secrets Act, but whatever she did, she got an MBE for it.”

Morris’s twin brother John (Johnny) becomes a photographer and marries Thelma Mansfield. Their elder brother, George Redmond, follows in the footsteps of their father, Lord Killanin, by becoming a film producer. His credits include The Reader. They also have one sister, Monica Deborah.

At the age of fifteen Morris’s formal education ends following his diagnosis with dyslexia. He then begins working at racing stables. He earns the nickname “Mouse” when he is an amateur rider.

Initially, Morris comes to prominence as an amateur jockey. In 1974 he rides  Mr. Midland to victory at  Cheltenham Racecourse giving Edward O’Grady his first Festival winner. In 1975 he turns professional. He rides Skymas in his successive victories in the 1976 and 1977 Queen Mother Champion Chase at Cheltenham. He rides Billycan to victory in the 1977 Irish Grand National, a race he is subsequently to win twice as a trainer. His career as a rider ends after a fall in South Carolina‘s Colonial Cup.

Morris is based in Fethard, County Tipperary. In 1981, he takes out a licence and begins his National Hunt training career. Hus first major breakthrough comes when Buck House wins the 1983 Supreme Novices’ Hurdle, giving him his first winner at Cheltenham.

The 1990s start brightly for the “Mouse” Morris yard when Trapper John, ridden by jockey Charlie Swan, wins the Stayers’ Hurdle at the 1990 Cheltenham Festival. The following year, Cahervillahow is beaten by a short head in the Irish Grand National and merely three weeks later in the Whitbread Gold Cup he is controversially judged to have interfered with runner-up Docklands Express in the closing stages. As a result, Docklands Express is awarded the race. He finishes second in the 1993 Grand National which is voided after a false start. He trains His Song who is one of the best novice hurdlers of the period. His Song finishes second behind the J. P. McManus owned Istabraq in the 1998 AIG Irish Champion Hurdle on his fourth race outing before again finishing second in the Supreme Novice Hurdle at Leopardstown Racecourse. One of his most important wins as a trainer comes in 2006 when he sends out the seven-year-old gelding War Of Attrition to win the 2006 Cheltenham Gold Cup, beating another Irish challenger, Hedgehunter, on Saint Patrick’s Day. In 2008, he trains Hear The Echo to victory in the Irish Grand National. In 2011, he trains the winner of the Grade 1 Neptune Investment Management Novices’ Hurdle at Cheltenham, First Lieutenant, ridden by Davy Russell. In 2016, he wins the Irish Grand National again this time with Rogue Angel. Also in 2016, he wins the Grand National for the first time with Rule The World.

Morris is married to Susanna Felicity Clark. They have two sons, James (Jamie) born in 1983 and Christopher (Tiffer) born in 1985. Tiffer dies at the age of 30 in June 2015 of carbon monoxide poisoning while traveling in Argentina.


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Birth of Pat Taaffe, National Hunt Jockey

pat-taaffe

Patrick “Pat” Taaffe, Irish National Hunt jockey, is born in Rathcoole, County Dublin on March 12, 1930. He famously rode Arkle to win three Cheltenham Gold Cups between 1964 and 1966.

Taaffe and Arkle, dominate National Hunt racing in the mid-1960s, winning the Irish Grand National, the King George VI Chase, two Hennessy Gold Cups, three Cheltenham Gold Cups and the Whitbread Gold Cup.

Taaffe is also a capable winner without the help of Arkle, winning a fourth Gold Cup with Fort Leney (1968), two Grand Nationals and records six Irish Nationals (1954 on Royal Approach, 1955 on Umm, 1959 on Zonda, 1961 on Fortria, 1964 on Arkle, 1966 on Flyingbolt).

Taaffe also wins the 1970 Grand National in Aintree, Liverpool on the Fred Rimell trained 15-1 shot, Gay Trip, twenty lengths clear of his nearest pursuer. After retiring as a jockey, he goes on to train Captain Christy, the 1974 Gold Cup winner. Although a brilliant horseman, the business side of training does not come naturally to him and his training career never flourishes.

Pat Taaffe dies at the age of 62 on July 7, 1992 in Royal City of Dublin Hospital of a heart condition, having previously undergone only the third heart transplant operation in Ireland (1989).


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Death of Arkle, the Greatest Irish Steeplechaser

Arkle, the greatest Irish steeplechaser of all time, dies at the early age of thirteen on May 31, 1970. A bay gelding by Archive out of Bright Cherry, Arkle is the grandson of the unbeaten flat racehorse and prepotent sire Nearco.

Arkle is born at Ballymacoll Stud, County Meath, by Mrs. Mary Alison Baker of Malahow House, near Naul, County Dublin. He is named after the mountain Arkle in Sutherland, Scotland that borders the Duchess of Westminster’s Sutherland estate. Owned by Anne Grosvenor, Duchess of Westminster, he is trained by Tom Dreaper at Greenogue, Kilsallaghan in County Meath, and ridden during his steeplechasing career by Pat Taaffe.

At 212, his Timeform rating is the highest ever awarded to a steeplechaser. Only Flyingbolt, also trained by Dreaper, has a rating anywhere near his at 210. Next on their ratings are Sprinter Sacre on 192 and then Kauto Star and Mill House on 191. Despite his career being cut short by injury, Arkle wins three Cheltenham Gold Cups, the Blue Riband of steeplechasing, and a host of other top prizes.

In December 1966, Arkle races in the King George VI Chase at Kempton Park Racecourse but strikes the guard rail with a hoof when jumping the open ditch, which results in a fractured pedal bone. Despite this injury, he completes the race and finishes second. He is in plaster for four months and, though he makes a good enough recovery to go back into training, he never runs again. He is retired and ridden as a hack by his owner and then succumbs to what has been variously described as advanced arthritis or possibly brucellosis and is put down at the early age of thirteen.

Arkle becomes a national legend in Ireland. His strength is jokingly claimed to come from drinking Guinness twice a day. At one point, the slogan Arkle for President is written on a wall in Dublin. The horse is often referred to simply as “Himself,” and the story goes that he receives items of fan mail addressed to “Himself, Ireland.”

The government-owned Irish National Stud, at Tully, Kildare, County Kildare, has the skeleton of Arkle on display in its museum. A 1.1 scale bronze statue in his memory was erected in Ashbourne, County Meath on April 19, 2014.