2006

DESERT Orchid, the ever-popular Cheltenham Gold Cup winner of 1989, died peacefully on Monday morning at the age of 27.

The dashing grey achieved iconic status within National Hunt racing, and was very much loved by racing enthusiasts for his iron will and extreme adaptability. His grey colour, flamboyant jumping and front-running style attracted many new followers to jump racing, and brought National Hunt racing on to the front pages of the daily newspapers.

His courage and soundness, combined with the skill with which he was campaigned by David Elsworth and the Burridge family, captured the hearts of a racing generation. He won 34 races in total, including seven at his beloved Kempton and a record four victories in the King George VI Steeplechase.

Campaigned fearlessly through nine seasons, he won over distances from two miles to three miles, five furlongs, frequently carrying top-weight on varying types of ground.

The only chink in his armour was a distinct preference for right-handed courses. He never showed his best form at the Cheltenham Festival, but ran there on eight consecutive occasions.

His battle through the mud to capture the 1989 Gold Cup topped the Racing Post’s favourite race competition, and he was their top-rated chaser in the last 20 years.

On Easter Monday, 1990, he made a flying visit to Fairyhouse, adding the Irish Grand National to his roll of honour.

In a statement on Monday morning, his former trainer David Elsworth said: “Desert Orchid died peacefully in his stable at 6.05 this morning. There was no stress; he departed from this world with dignity and no fuss. He was 27 years old and we have been involved with this wonderful horse for a quarter of a century, both in his racing days and retirement.

“Everybody will miss him, and our sympathy goes to his adoring public and fan club that never ceased to take opportunities to see him at his public appearances.”

Desert Orchid bowed out from racing in December 1991 after a crashing fall three fences from home when attempting to win his fifth King George.

His past performances at Kempton meant connections were left in no doubt as to where his final resting place should be. Desert Orchid will be laid to rest at Kempton Park near his statue.

[Born in 1979, Desert Orchid, a son of Grey Mirage, won 34 of his 71 starts and earned £654,066. Over timber he won the Tolworth Hurdle at Sandown, while other major victories over fences included the Whitbread Gold Cup and the Tingle Creek Chase, also at Sandown.

He was placed twice in the Gold Cup at Cheltenham, while other Festival performances numbered being placed twice in the Champion Chase and also in the Arkle Chase]

Birthday girl Jane doubles up

2011

AMATEUR Jane Mangan came of age last Sunday when celebrating her 18th birthday in style, with a first and last race double at Limerick. One of those winners, Carries Darling, was for her trainer father Jimmy in the mares’ bumper.

The birthday girl got her day off to a good start when teaming up with Luke’s Benefit in the Britain v Ireland Ladies Challenge Handicap Hurdle. The 7/2 favourite was her first ride over timber and she gave the grey son of Beneficial a well-judged ride from the front to land the spoils by seven and a half lengths for trainer Denis Hogan.

He has care of Luke’s Benefit for the T & M Racing partnership of Michael O’Brien, who is originally from Tipperary but now lives in Dublin, and his brother Tony. Hogan was riding in Cheltenham but unfortunately had a fall from Delphi Mountain shortly after this race got under way. Mangan, who was notching up her third winner on the track, said of Luke’s Benefit: “He did it easy enough.

Winner number two of the meeting for the accomplished pilot came in the concluding Limerickraces.ie Online Booking Mares (Pro/Am) Flat Race, which went the way of the 8/1 shot Carries Darling. She mastered Oscars Business in the final 75 yards for a one and a quarter length success.

Carries Darling is owned by the rider’s uncle, Billy Mangan, and the winning trainer reported: “She is a very well-bred mare who is related to a six-time winner in France. I had a few quid on and she was a mighty price really. The ground in Galway last time was really unfit for racing, and we hope to go to Navan soon for a mares’ bumper.”

Not to be outdone, Jane’s brother Paddy gave the Jessica Harrington-trained 2/5 favourite Jenari a confident drive to capture the Martinstown Opportunity Maiden Hurdle for owner J.P. McManus. The four-year-old took it up racing away from the second last flight and drew clear to win easily by eight lengths from the staying-on Tailors Hill.

The owner’s wife Noreen was on hand to welcome the winner back to the parade ring. Mrs Harrington’s assistant, Eamonn Leigh, said of Jenari: “He came on from his Galway run, and the bit of experience he gained there did him good.

[Carries Darling went on to win over hurdles and her second foal, the first named, is Your Darling, a bumper, hurdle and chase winner for Lord and Lady Vestey. The six-year-old is trained by Ben Pauling.

Victory for Luke’s Benefit proved to be the first of nine career wins.

Jenari was previously a bumper winner and placed third in the Grade 1 betchronicle.com Champion INH Flat Race at Punchestown. He went on to win the Grade 2 Coolmore NH Sires Festival Novice Hurdle at Fairyhouse, and also won over fences. He is a full-brother to Jezki and they are among five graded National Hunt winners out of the mare La Noire]

New era for Irish Derby

1961

NEXT year, without doubt, will be the greatest in the very long history of horseracing on the Curragh, for several reasons, but mainly because the first Irish Sweeps Derby will be run there on Saturday, June 30th.

Following the enactment of the Curragh of Kildare Bill, 1961, by which lands are vested in the Minister for Agriculture, appropriate fencing entirely to exclude grazing by sheep on the racecourse and part of the training grounds is to be erected forthwith.

This great improvement has been made possible by the generosity of several people, including the Aga Khan, Mr Joseph McGrath, the Executors of the late Mr Michael Collins’ Osborne Lodge properties, the Irish Turf Club, Colonel Giles Loder, and Messrs R.J. McCormick, T.P. Burns and Con Collins.

It is good news too that the Curragh racecourse will eventually be watered, provision having been made for 10,000 gallons per hour for domestic purposes, and then eventually for the watering of the track.

The present stand holds 10,000 people and the new stands, now in the course of construction, will hold an additional 10,000. Plans are already well advanced to cope with the traffic problem.

The price of admission on Derby Day will be as follows: reserved enclosure, £2 per person; grandstand enclosure, 15 shillings each person; public enclosure, no charge.

[The Irish Sweeps Derby in 1962 was one of the richest horse races in the world. Telefís Éireann covered it, and the race was also taken live by the BBC and recorded by the ABC network in the USA. The Derby was the most complicated outside broadcast Telefís Éireann had undertaken.

Seven cameras were used to cover the race including a mobile radio camera hired from the BBC. Mícheál O’Hehir and Louis Gunning covered the race for TE and Peter O’Sullevan and Clive Graham for the BBC. In front of an estimated crowd of 50,000, the French-trained Tambourine II won the first running of the Irish Sweeps Derby]