RACEHORSE owner and former Horse Racing Ireland board member Jim Gough passed away peacefully last Saturday at a nursing home in Lucan, Co Dublin.

His orange racing silks are a familiar sight in the winner’s enclosure, especially at Dundalk Stadium, where be built up an astonishing record of success in claiming races and low-grade handicaps.

His policy of buying horses out of claiming races and buying inexpensive recruits at the horses in training sales hit the jackpot in 2019 when he acquired the unraced Sceptical from Godolphin for just £2,800.

Trained by Denis Hogan, Sceptical won three times in Dundalk before winning a listed race at Naas in June 2020. He was supplemented for a Group 1 race at Royal Ascot the same month and finished a close third. Sceptical then finished second in the July Cup before suffering a fatal injury on the gallops.

From Dublin city but living in Gormanston, Co Meath, he first had a farm in Ballivor, Co Meath and originally had horses in training with Joanna Morgan. His first winner, in 2001, was trained and ridden by Stephen Mahon.

He subsequently bought Hilltop Stables in North Co Dublin over 20 years ago and after a few years Mahon was replaced as trainer there by Gough’s nephew James Macauley.

Macauley trained many winners for his uncle until the yard’s horses lost their form for two years, which was attributed to the negative effects of rapeseed planted on a neighbouring farm.

In more recent times Gough had his horses with Denis Hogan.

Gough served a term on the board of Horse Racing Ireland as the elected representative of the Association of Irish Racehorse Owners [AIRO]. When the AIRO subsequently prevented him from serving a second term Gough took legal action against the Association in 2019.

He studied law as a mature student, first taking advanced diploma classes at King’s Inns, then a Masters’ degree at Dublin City University.

In an interview with The Irish Field in January, McAuley said of his uncle’s operation: “Bills generally outweighed the prize money, but you can’t buy the pleasure that you get leading in a winner. That’s what it’s all about.”

Michelle Howard, racecourse stableyard manager, posted on RIP.ie: “As a racing friend we will miss you, especially at Dundalk. The yard will feel empty without your presence and your many horses. You loved the claiming races, often coming to the races with six horses and coming home with eight! You would beam with joy as you led your winner in.

“Your kind nature stood out. Many a person and animal you rescued over the years. You stood up for the vulnerable which shows the loving, kind person you were. It was a privilege to have known you and I hope we see your colours win again in Dundalk.”

Racehorse owner James Mescall said: “Jim was a self-made man with a great passion for racing. There were certainly no airs and graces about him and he didn’t suffer fools gladly. Jim championed the cause of the smaller owner in Irish racing and sought transparency in all matters relating to the owners’ representative body. His track record speaks for itself. There is little doubt that Jim was the catalyst in so many of the later changes and revelations in the sport. A bright spark of genius has been extinguished.”

Former HRI chief executive Brian Kavanagh and HRI board members Bernard Caldwell and Ado McGuinness also paid tribute to Gough online.