TOM Foley will be laid to rest in Bagenalstown, Co Carlow, today [Saturday] following 11am funeral Mass which can be viewed online.

The 74-year-old trained passed away peacefully on Wednesday, having had health issues in recent years.

He will always be remembered as the trainer of Danoli, the horse dubbed ‘the People’s Champion’ following unforgettable victories at Cheltenham, Aintree and Leopardstown in the mid-1990s.

Danoli, a gelding by The Parson, was unbeaten in bumpers and next season finished second to Fortune And Fame in the 1994 Irish Champion Hurdle at Leopardstown. Danoli went on to win the Sun Alliance Novices’ Hurdle at Cheltenham as the well-backed 7/4 favourite, partnered by Charlie Swan.

A month later the gelding won the Aintree Hurdle, with both Fortune And Fame and the Cheltenham Champion Hurdle winner Flakey Dove well behind.

Danoli won the Aintree Hurdle again in 1995 but picked up a leg injury which kept him off the track for nine months.

Amazingly, the horse recovered his best form to not only win a Grade 1 novice chase in December 1996 but he also managed to win the Irish Gold Cup in February 1997, sending the huge Leopardstown crowd into a frenzy.

Foley also enjoyed graded race success with The Subbie, Royal Paradise, Dariak and Dancing Hero.

He saddled Rebel Gold to win three races over jumps this season, most recently at Gowran Park on January 28th, which was to be his final runner.

Jim Treacy assisted Foley during the Danoli years and described the trainer as a very cool-headed individual who was self-taught and treated his horses as if they were his children.

“I am devastated for his family that the man is gone,” Treacy said. “They are lovely people, you couldn’t meet better.

“Tom was a farmer who, at first, just had the odd horse and taught himself how to train. He had a good understanding of animals and learned quickly. One thing I noticed about him was how well he fed his horses – he stuffed them!

“I was head man for Paddy Mullins for almost 15 years and, when I was finished there in the mornings, I would go over to Tom’s yard during the years when Danoli was there.

“Danoli was a character of a horse and a real crowd-puller. But he could be a hyper boy at home and I believe he would not have won as many races if he was in a big yard as he wouldn’t have received as much attention. Tom only had a small number of horses and treated them all like they were his own children. He would get upset if any of them were injured.

There was a lot of pressure involved in training a high-profile horse like Danoli but Foley handled it well, says Treacy. “The first year we went to Cheltenham, it was the first time on a plane for both Tom and Danoli. The horse fell asleep and travelled great, but Tom was airsick and his face was green when we landed. He was a lot better on the way home – he was in the cockpit!”

Treacy’s son Tom rode Danoli to win the Irish Gold Cup and Charlie Swan was on board when the horse won at Cheltenham.

Swan said: “Tom knew his horses inside out. They ran so consistently, and he did a marvellous job with Danoli. I was delighted Tom asked me to ride the horse as a novice hurdler as he had been one of the top bumper horses. He was a very genuine, tough horse who only ever did enough to win. I knew after we won the Deloitte Hurdle at Leopardstown he would be hard to beat at Cheltenham. I told everyone he was my banker of the meeting and it worked out well.”

Swan added: “Danoli really caught the imagination of the racing public. They were great days with him. He won the Aintree Hurdle twice and the second time he broke down, otherwise the sky was the limit for him. He still won a Hennessy [Irish Gold Cup] after that, which was amazing.

“Tom was a great man. All the time I was riding Danoli we never had one cross word. He was just a complete gentleman.”

His private funeral will take place in Saint Andrew’s Church, Bagenalstown, this morning at 11am, followed by burial in the Cemetery of the Assumption, Bagenalstown.

Web: bagenalstownparish.ie