Leading Irish trainer Dessie Hughes has died, aged 71. He had been battling cancer in recent years and his health had deteriorated in recent months.

As a jump jockey he won the 1977 Cheltenham Gold Cup on Davy Lad and the Champion Hurdle two years later with Monksfield.

As a trainer, Hughes is best known as the trainer of Hardy Eustace, winner of the Champion Hurdle at Cheltenham in 2004 and 2005.

Our Conor gave Hughes his last winner at Cheltenham in the Triumph Hurdle in 2013.

He is surived by his wife Eileen, daughter Sandra and son Richard, the reigning champion flat jockey in Britain.

Brian Kavanagh, chief executive of Horse Racing Ireland, tweeted: "RIP Dessie Hughes. A great trainer, great jockey and an absolute gentleman. Sympathies to Eileen, Richard and Sandra."

Conor O'Dwyer, who rode Hardy Eustace in both his Champion Hurdle triumphs, told irishracing.com: "There's gentlemen and then there was Dessie Hughes. I've ridden for many good people during my career, but Dessie really stood out as a proper gentleman.

"We had some brilliant times together, some of the best times of my career. No one ever had a bad word to say about Dessie, and Dessie never had a bad word to say about anyone.

"He'd had some hard times, but he'd come through and seemed to be enjoying the best of his career. It's a sad day for everyone and for racing."

Jockey Bryan Cooper tweeted: "He was one of the greatest trainers that we've ever seen and by far the best mentor and friend anyone could ever ask for."

Eddie O'Leary, racing manager for leading owners Gigginstown House Stud, who had horses with Hughes, said: "He was a fantastic trainer and a lovely man. He was a true gent. "He will be sorely and deeply missed by all in racing."

Trainer Tom Hogan, who served with Hughes on the council of the Irish Racehorse Trainers' Association, said: "Dessie was a very special person who was liked by everyone in racing. A great family man, he had time for everyone and would always try to help his fellow trainers whenever he could."

A minute's silence was due to be respected at Sunday's Cork, Punchestown and Cheltenham meetings.

Hughes began training in 1980 and his first runner, Church Island at Fairyhouse, was a winner. His first Cheltenham winner came in 1982 when Miller Hill won the Supreme Novices' Hurdle.

His Curragh yard suffered a long lean spell in the 1990s when the stable was hit by aspergillus, a bacteria which affects the performance level of racehorses.

When Hardy Eustace burst onto the scene in 2002 it signalled a revival in the trainer's fortunes and he had been among the top flight of his profession for the last 10 years.

THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION IS SUPPLIED COURTESY OF GORACING.IE

Notable Wins:

Coolmore N.H. Sires Fame And Glory & Sans Frontieres Novice Hurdle (Grade 2)(Lieutenant Colonel 2014)

Clarion Hotel Liffey Valley Novice Handicap Chase (Grade B)(Some Tikket 2014)

Injured Jockeys Fund 50th Anniversary 4-Y-O Juvenile Hurdle (Grade 1)(Guitar Pete 2014)

Naas Directors Plate Novice Chase (Grade 3)(Bright New Dawn 2014)

Boylesports Michael Purcell Memorial Novice Hurdle (Grade 2)(Giantofaman 2014)

Flyingbolt Novice Chase (Grade 2)(Bright New Dawn 2014)

Gala Retail Spring Juvenile Hurdle (Grade 1)(Guitar Pete 2014)

Knight Frank Juvenile Hurdle (Grade 2)(Guitar Pete 2013)

Bar One Racing Handicap Hurdle (Grade B)(Pink Coat 2013)

Buck House Novice Chase (Grade 3)(Art Of Logistics 2013)

Guinness Kerry National Handicap Chase (Grade A)(White Star Line 2013)

www.thetote.com Handicap Hurdle (Grade B)(Captain Arceus 2013)

JCB Triumph Hurdle Grade 1(Our Conor 2013)

boylesports.com Michael Purcell Memorial Novice Hurdle (Grade 2)(Bright New Dawn 2013)

Spring Juvenile Hurdle (Grade 1)(Our Conor 2013)

Woodlands Park 100 Club Novice Chase (Grade 2)(Tofino Bay 2013)

Bar One Racing Juvenile 3-Y-O Hurdle (Grade 3)(Our Conor 2012)

Ladbrokes Troytown Handicap Chase (Grade B)(Tofino Bay 2012)

Paddy Power Cork Grand National Handicap Chase (Grade B)(Raz De Maree 2012)

Ladbrokes Munster National Handicap Chase (Grade A)(Raz De Maree 2012)

Hugh McMahon Memorial Novice Chase (Grade 2)(Frisco Depot 2012)

Boylesports.com Michael Purcell Memorial Novice Hurdle (Grade 2)(Lyreen Legend 2012)

Thyestes Handicap Chase (Siegemaster 2011)

Leopardstown Handicap Chase (Rare Bob 2011, Schindlers Hunt 2009)

Killiney Novice Chase (Magnanimity 2011)

Bobbyjo Bar Festival Novice Hurdle (Magnanimity 2010)

Bobbyjo Chase (Vic Venturi 2010, Black Apalachi 2009)

Becher Handicap Chase (Vic Venturi 2009, Black Apalachi 2008)

Thurles Chase (In Compliance 2009)

Boylesports.com Champion Novice Chase (Rare Bob 2009)

Dan Moore Memorial Handicap Chase (Schindlers Hunt 2008)

Coral Ascot Hurdle (Hardy Eustace 2007 + 2006)

AIG Champion Hurdle (Hardy Eustace 2007)

Irish Arkle (Schindlers Hunt 2007)

Durkan New Homes Novice Chase (Schindlers Hunt 2006, Central House 2003)

Tied Cottage Chase (Central House 2006)

Cheltenham Champion Hurdle (Hardy Eustace 2005 + 2004)

Pertemps Final (Oulart 2005)

Fortria Chase (Central House 2005)

Hilly Way Chase (Central House 2005)

Paddy Power Dial-a-Bet Chase (Central House 2004)

Irish Cambridgeshire (Due Respect 2004)

Emo Oil Champion Hurdle (Hardy Eustace 2004)

Irish Grand National (Timbera 2003)

Sun Alliance Novice Hurdle (Hardy Eustace 2003)

Royal Bond Novice Hurdle (Hardy Eustace 2002)

Goffs Land Rover Bumper (Hardy Eustace 2002)

Menolly Homes Champion Novice Hurdle (Colonel Braxton 2001)

Deloitte Novice Hurdle (Colonel Braxton 2001)

Drinmore Novice Chase (Ballychorus Dream 1988)

Huzzar Hurdle (William Crump 1986, Miller Hill 1983)

Galway Plate (Chow Mein 1985)

Supreme Novice Hurdle (Miller Hill 1982)

Drogheda Chase (Light The Wad 1982 + 1981)

Arkle Trophy (Light The Wad 1981)

Dessie Hughes has long been established as one of Ireland’s most consistent and skilled trainers. While he is perhaps best known for his handling of the legendary Hardy Eustace, Hughes’ curriculum vitae is anything but a one-horse book.

EARLY DAYS

In common with most racehorse trainers, Hughes first shot to international prominence while plying his trade as a National Hunt jockey. Hughes gained many famous victories in the saddle, but undoubtedly his most high-profile successes came on the hallowed turf of Prestbury Park at the Cheltenham Festival when he partnered the Mick O’Toole-trained Davy Lad to success in the Cheltenham Gold Cup in 1977. Two years later, Hughes played a starring role in one of the most famous clashes in recent racing history when partnering the diminutive Monksfield to a famous victory over Sea Pigeon in the Champion Hurdle.

ATTENTIONS TURN TO TRAINING

Despite his numerous successes in the saddle, Hughes had always planned to train and having prepared his yard for three years, he took out his training licence in 1980. He wasted no time in making a significant impact in his new profession. Light The Wad was undoubtedly the star of the early part of his training career, winning the Irish Arkle at Leopardstown in 1982 as well as the 1981 and 1982 renewals of the Drogheda Chase at the Punchestown Festival.

CHELTENHAM FESTIVAL SUCCESS

Many trainers have to endure agonising waits to get off the mark at the Cheltenham Festival, indeed, some never manage to saddle a winner at National Hunt racing’s biggest festival, but Hughes did not have to wait long. Just two years after taking out his licence, he saddled Miller Hill to prevail in the Supreme Novice Hurdle. Other notable wins in the 1980’s included Chow Mein in the 1985 Galway Plate, William Crump in the 1986 Huzzar Handicap Hurdle and Ballychorus Dream in the 1988 Drinmore Novice Chase.

From the late 1980s until well into the 1990s, the Hughes yard went through a poor run of form which was the result of a persistent bug. Hughes has always maintained that this virus was by far the biggest obstacle he has had to overcome in his training career and it took many years for him to remedy what turned out to be a problem with fungus before things returned to normal.

BACK IN FORM

Having successfully seen off the bug, Hughes soon picked up where he had left off in the late 1980s. The useful handicap hurdler/chaser Roundwood won six times in all during his career and while Hemisphere did not break his maiden over hurdles until his 23rd attempt, he found his niche over fences from 1996-8, winning on four occasions. Guest Performance won no less than six races over hurdles from February 1996 to January 1997 before going on to win the 1998 renewal of the Grade 3 Nas Na Riogh Novice Chase at Naas.

Colonel Braxton looked to be an exciting prospect for the Hughes yard when making a winning racecourse debut in a Leopardstown bumper in December 1999 and he did not take long to fulfil that potential. The following season he won all three of his starts over hurdles, most notably the Grade 1 Menolly Homes Champion Novice Hurdle. He was sent chasing in the 2001/2 season, but he only won once, in the Grade 3 Nas Na Riogh Novice Chase at Naas.

The following season he twice finished second to Beef Or Salmon in the Grade 1 contests as well as winning the Listed Normans Grove Chase at Fairyhouse. He made an encouraging seasonal reappearance in the 2003 Ericsson Chase but alas, that would prove to be his last race as he soon succumbed to a serious injury.

SHREWD PURCHASES

The 2001 Land Rover Sale at Goffs would leave an indelible mark on the career of Hughes. At that sale Hughes picked up a four-year-old gelding by Archway for IR£21,000 and a four-year-old by Alflora for IR£28,000.

When those two horses finished first and second in the 2002 Land Rover Bumper, Hughes was entitled to be pleased with his investments but even in his wildest dreams, he could not have imagined that that they would go on to win a total of 25 races, including nine Grade 1s between them. Those horses were Hardy Eustace and Central House.

The promise of Central House’s second to Hardy Eustace in the Land Rover Bumper was not long in being fulfilled. Later that year he won a bumper as well as two races over hurdles. While he was placed three times in Grade 2 company later in the season, it wasn’t until he was sent over fences in the 2003/4 season that he really shot to prominence.

His win in a Fairyhouse beginners chase was immediately followed by a 25 lengths win in the Grade 1 Denny Gold Medal Novice Chase at Leopardstown.

He had his colours lowered by Kicking King in the Irish Arkle on his next start and he subsequently unseated Paul Carberry at the fourth obstacle from home in the Arkle Trophy at the Cheltenham Festival. From the end of his novice chasing campaign, Central House proved to be a lucrative money-spinner for his connections. During that time he won five Grade 2 contests, one Grade 1 and was placed in seven other Graded chases, accumulating just over €515,000 in prize money prior to being retired in 2009.

HARDY EUSTACE

Following his win in the Land Rover Bumper at Fairyhouse in 2002, Hardy Eustace did not waste much time in making his mark over obstacles. His novice hurdle season saw him gain a memorable victory over Back In Front in the Grade 1 Royal Bond Novice Hurdle before going on to take some notable scalps in the Royal & SunAlliance Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival under the sorely-missed Kieren Kelly.

That excellent first season over hurdles proved to be just the beginning, as Hardy Eustace proved to be one of the toughest and most consistent hurdlers of recent decades.

His love affair with Cheltenham continued unabated, with him winning the 2004 and 2005 renewals of the Champion Hurdle in memorable fashion and the Punchestown equivalent in 2004. Multiple placings in Grade 1 events preceded a return to winning action at the highest level in the AIG Champion Hurdle at Leopardstown in 2007 when he got the better of his great rival Brave Inca.

He remained a consistent place-getter in Grade 1 events, but he again had to wait over 20 months to return to the winner’s enclosure, gaining an unexpected success in the Maplewood Developments Hurdle at Punchestown in November 2008.

That proved to be his final win and by the time he retired at the end of the 2009/10 season, he had earned well over €1,000,000 in prize money and secured his position as one of the most loved hurdlers of the modern era.

NEW STARS

Dessie Hughes’ happy association with the Goffs Land Rover Sale has continued beyond Hardy Eustace and Central House as one of his most recent Grade 1 winners, Schindlers Hunt, was bought for €28,000 at the 2004 renewal of the sale. Having been Grade 1-placed during his novice hurdle career, Schindlers Hunt really began to fulfil his potential since being sent over fences in 2006/7, winning the Grade 1 Durkan New Homes Novice Chase at Leopardstown over Christmas and the Grade 1 Baileys Irish Arkle at the same track a month later.

Once out of novice company he proved to be a lucrative performer in valuable handicap chases, winning the 2008 renewal of the Dan Moore Handicap Chase and the 2009 renewal of the Leopardstown Handicap Chase before going on to be Grade 1-placed at the Cheltenham, Aintree and Punchestown Festivals.

Grangeclare Lark was another classy performer for Hughes in recent seasons. While she failed to win in her first four starts in the 2005/6 season, she made a winning seasonal debut in a bumper at Fairyhouse in October 2006 and soon went from strength to strength over hurdles, winning six of her next eight starts in the following 15 months including three Grade 3 event and two Listed races.

The last of those wins came at Leopardstown at Christmas and she was considered a leading contender for the David Nicholson Mares Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival, but unfortunately she suffered an injury soon after that most recent win and Hughes retired her to the breeding paddocks.

CHASING SUCCESS

Despite the setback of losing such a talented mare, the Hughes stable soon gained replacement stars in the shape of a crack team of chasers that included Rare Bob, Black Apalachi, Vic Venturi, Siegemaster and Magnanimity.

The first-named performer came to prominence when winning the Grade 1 Boylesports.com Champion Novice Chase at the Punchestown Festival in 2009 and has since added the Leopardstown Handicap Chase in 2011.

Black Apalachi and Vic Venturi followed remarkably similar paths, with the former winning the Becher Chase over the Aintree Grand National fences and the Grade 2 Bobbyjo Chase at Fairyhouse in 2008/9 and the latter matching that feat in 2009/10. Both have taken their chance in the Aintree Grand National on two occasions since those wins, with Black Apalachi finding just Don’t Push It too good in the 2010 renewal of the famous race.

Siegemaster made another valuable contribution to the Hughes’ haul by gaining a well-deserved big-race win in the 2011 renewal of the prestigious Thyestes Handicap Chase at Gowran Park. Finally, Magnanimity won the Grade 2 Killiney Novice Chase at Leopardstown in 2011 (the same day Rare Bob won the Leopardstown Handicap Chase) and went on to go close in Grade 1 contests at Leopardstown and the Cheltenham Festival later in the season.

RECENT TIMES

And the big winners just kept coming. The stable enjoyed big success with the likes of Lyreen Legend, Frisco Depot, Raz De Maree and Tofino Bay in 2012 but it was when Hughes put the smart Flat performer Our Conor over hurdles that Osborne Lodge returned to big-time.

The three-year-old made a winning debut over flights at Navan in November and built on that in the Grade 3 Bar One Racing Juvenile Hurdle at Fairyhouse the following month. He did not race again until the following February but the winning sequence was continued as he ran away with the Grade 1 Spring Juvenile Hurdle at Leopardstown.

And the best was yet to come as at the Cheltenham Festival, Our Conor ran the race of his life to win the Grade 1 JCB Triumph Hurdle by all of 15 lengths, one of the most impressive winners of the race in modern times, a first Cheltenham success for the yard since Hardy Eustace’s Champion Hurdle win in 2005.

2013 also saw the Hughes win with smart performers such as Bright New Dawn and Captain Arceus while White Star Line captured the Guinness Kerry National Handicap Chase at Listowel in September. Art Of Logistics and Pink Coat kept the flag flying in the early months of the winter and Guitar Pete saw the year end on a high with a Grade 2 win at Leopardstown in December.

Indeed, the same horse emulated Our Conor when landing the Grade 1 Gala Retail Spring Juvenile Hurdle at Leopardstown in February but could manage only third place when tried in the Triumph Hurdle itself.

Sadly, the Cheltenham Festival, so kind to the stable 12 months earlier, was certainly one to forget as Our Conor’s bid to add the Champion Hurdle to his impressive tally ended in disaster as he was killed in a fall early in the race. It was a huge blow, not just to the Hughes team, but to Irish racing as one of the leading lights of the jumping game, a horse so readily identifiable by all racegoers, was lost so early in his career.

But Graded success was never too far away as the show went on and Bright New Dawn and Giantofaman kept the flag flying. Guitar Pete gained his second Grade 1 win when taking the Injured Jockeys Fund 50th Anniversary Juvenile Hurdle at the Punchestown festival and Fairyhouse success came the stable’s way through wins for Some Tikket and Lieutenant Colonel.

One of the final winners officially trained by Dessie Hughes was The Tullow Tank in a beginners' chase at Fairyhouse on November 4th. Making his first start for the Hughes yard, The Tullow Tank won impressively and looks set to be one of this season's stars.