The inextricable local Derby bonds
There are strong local links with the most prestigious horseracing event in Ireland
The Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby is an international event, attracting the best racehorses that can run over a dozen furlongs.
And inevitably, given the proliferation of training establishments in its hinterland, County Kildare has been associated with more than a few winners of the top classic race in this country.
The Prendergast family has a long association with the race.
In 1963, Paddy Prendergast trained Ragusa to success and achieved a notable double just two years later when Meadow Court won — a feat which prompted a song from well-known crooner Bing Crosby at the Curragh venue. Crosby was a part-owner of the horse and a photograph of Crosby taken in the area was one of many hanging on the walls of coffey’s pub in Newbridge.
In 1964 Naas man Willie Burke rode Santa Claus to victory at the Curragh. Santa Claus also won the Epsom Derby, though Australian Scobie Beasley took the ride there.
The McGrath family, some of whom lived outside Newbridge, were associated with the 1973 success of Weaver’s Hall. Another with local connections was Liam Ward who rode Nijinsky to victory in 1970.
Nobody begrudged Pat Shanahan his success aboard unlikely winner Zagreb. Trained by Dermot Weld, who lives a stone’s throw from the course, the Sallins native rode the horse to a 20/1 win.
John Oxx’s first success was with Sinndar, with Johnny Murtagh aboard in 2000. The horse was owned by the Aga Khan as was Alamshar two years later, when he succeeded courtesy of Oxx and Murtagh.
Grey Swallow, whose image forms part of the Piper’s Hill College, Naas, crest won for Weld, with Pat Smullen riding, in 2004.
The Weld-Smullen team returned to the winner’s enclosure with the Aga Khan-owned Harzand in 2016.
Harzand was the odds-on favourite having already landed the Epsom Derby.
Sallins man Seamie Heffernan had successive wins in ‘07 and ‘08 with Soldier of Fortune and the unfancied Frozen Fire. He completed a hat trick of success aboard Capri for trainer Aidan O’Brien two years ago.
County Tipperary native Christy Roche, who later had a training establishment outside Kildare town, was aboard three Derby winners — the last being Desert King, 18 years ago. He rode St Jovite to the fastest win in 1992, in a time of 2:25.6.
For many though the great race will be forever linked with Shergar, who won in 1981 with Lester Piggott aboard. The horse was later stolen from the nearby Ballymany Stud on February 8, 1983. Walter Swinburn was the jockey in Epsom when Shergar won. Swinburn lived for a while with parents Wally and Doreen Cash at Bracknagh, near Rathangan.
He worked in the family-owned stud farm Genesis Green Stud in Newmarket, having trained horses for a time after he retired in 2000; before his tragic and untimely passing in December 2016.
“To be able to ride a horse like Shergar was wonderful. I was lucky to ride him. He was bred and raised in Ireland. Apart from being a brilliant racehorse he had a wonderful temperament and I knew that he was always well looked after.
“It would have been very difficult for him when he was kidnapped that evening and taken out of his environment,” he told the Leader in an interview in 2013, marking the 30th anniversary of the kidnapping.
He said: “A ransom was demanded and because by that time the ownership of the horse was spread among various members of a syndicate it was not possible to get a coherent or united response to the demand quickly enough. I believe that he was killed at an early stage.”
Swinburn’s winning margin was a record, horse and jockey torqued to a ten length success. Legend has it he was so far ahead of the second placed John Matthias, abroad Glint of Gold, that Matthias thought he himself had won.
And while the local connections with the Irish race are strong mention must be made of an extraordinary feat at this year’s Epsom Derby .
Kevin Prendergast, now an octogenarian, saddled Madhmoon in this year’s race.
Much of the focus in the aftermath of the race, won by Seamie Heffernan aboard Aidan O’Brien’s Anthony Van Dyck in a record equalling seventh success for the trainer, was on the fact that the all powerful O’Brien almost managed a clean sweep with five of the top six finishers.
But Madhmoon, ridden by Chris Hayes, finished only half a length behind after stumbling half a mile from the finishing post. It was a great performance.
Had he won it would have been the crowning moment in a long and successful 50 years plus career for Kevin Prendergast; but second place wasn’t half bad at all.