FRIENDS and colleagues of the late Gerry Griffin have paid tribute to the former jump jockey and bloodstock agent who passed away peacefully on November 17th. He was 73.

Born in Galway in 1947, he was apprenticed to Clem Magnier and rode 12 winners before moving to England in 1967 to ride over jumps, mainly for trainer Arthur Stephenson. His biggest wins included Relevant in the 1974 Victor Ludorum Hurdle, and he won the Princess Royal Handicap Hurdle in 1969 on Supermaster and in 1971 aboard Camaguey.

When his race-riding days were over, Gerry and his young family moved back to Ireland. He managed a stud in Straffan, Co Kildare, before becoming a bloodstock agent. Renewing an old association with north of England trainer Gordon Richards and his son Nicky, Gerry was responsible for discovering a long list of winners at the store horse sales, including Monet’s Garden and Simply Ned.

Monet’s Garden

Monet’s Garden was bought for £35,000 at the Derby Sale and won 17 races for Nicky Richards. The Old Roan Chase at Aintree, which the grey won three times, is now named after him. Gerry bought Simply Ned for €23,000 at the August Sale. That horse won 10 races, including the Grade 1 two-mile chase at Leopardstown’s Christmas Festival on two occasions.

Speaking to The Irish Field this week, Nicky Richards said: “When Jack White passed away, my father started to use Gerry at the sales and I continued that relationship.

“Gerry would do a lot of the groundwork. I’d get there the day before and go through all the ones he liked as well as those I had marked on the catalogue.

“We would narrow it down and we were very lucky.

“Gerry was an outstanding judge and I know he was held in high regard by his colleagues. He could dig out a nice horse without a cheque book and not many can do that. As well as Monet’s Garden and Simply Ned, we bought horses like Chidswell (won six) and Gold Futures (won eight) for small money.

“Gerry was a proper character. I’ll never forget the lunches we had with Peter Doyle, the stories they would tell. I promise you it was hilarious.”

Bright and funny

Peter Doyle said: “Gerry was a lovely fellow, one of the brightest and funniest you could meet. He was a lovely hurdles race-rider in his day and a great judge. Together with Nicky, they bought some lovely horses over the years. Gerry was also a great storyteller. He was a very good friend of Pat Buckley, and also of my late brother, Paul.”

Rory Mahon of Ferrans Stud was a good friend. “I knew Gerry from his apprentice days with Clem Magnier. He was a very good flat rider. When he got too heavy for the flat he moved to the north of England and specialised in hurdles races.

“At the sales Gerry was a very good judge. He and Nicky would also go all over the country buying horses privately. I had some great nights with Gerry. He could always make you laugh.”

Gerry is survived by his wife, Kate. Their son Paul is an engineer in London and their daughter Sharon is married with family in Navan.

MC