PROMINENT racehorse owner Archie O’Leary died peacefully at Marymount Hospice in Cork last Sunday. He was 86.

Best known in racing as the owner of the prolific chaser Florida Pearl, he enjoyed a superb strike-rate with his runners, all of which were trained by Willie Mullins.

Florida Pearl was bought privately by Mullins on behalf of O’Leary following the horse’s point-to-point win for trainer John Costello. The horse went on to win the Champion Bumper and Sun Alliance Chase at the Cheltenham Festival, plus a King George at Kempton, but is chiefly remembered for his four Hennessy Gold Cup wins at Leopardstown.

O’Leary enjoyed further top-level success with Missed That, Cooldine, Golden Silver and Abyssial. There weren’t many hard-luck stories for the owner but Be My Royal was unfortunate to be disqualified from first place in the 2002 Hennessy at Newbury due to contaminated feed causing a positive post-race drugs test.

An accomplished sportsman, O’Leary represented Ireland at rugby and as a yachtsman. In 1961 he founded O’Leary Insurance which now has 200 staff.

His funeral mass on Tuesday in Crosshaven was followed by a private cremation ceremony. He is survived by his wife Violet and two children, Frances and Anthony.