Pat Taaffe

Patrick "Pat" Taaffe (1930, Dublin - 7 July 1992, Dublin) was a National Hunt jockey who famously rode Arkle to win three Cheltenham Gold Cups between 1964 and 1966.

Arkle and Taaffe, the pair who dominated National Hunt racing in the mid-sixties, won the Irish Grand National, the King George VI chase, 2 Hennessy Gold Cups, 3 Cheltenham Gold Cups and the Whitbread Cup.

Taaffe was also a capable winner without the help of Arkle, he also won a fourth Gold Cup, 2 Grand Nationals and recorded 6 Irish Nationals (1954 Royal Approach, 1955 Umm, 1959 Zonda, 1961 Fortria, 1964 Arkle, 1966 Flyingbolt) .

Pat Taaffe also won the 1970 Grand National in Aintree, Liverpool on the Fred Rimell trained 15-1 shot, Gay Trip, 20 lengths clear of his nearest pursuer.[1] After retiring as a jockey, Taaffe went on to train Captain Christy, 1974 Gold Cup winner, who was one of the only horses to be compared with Arkle. Although a brilliant horseman, the business side of training did not come naturally to him and his training career did not flourish.[2]

He died in 1992 in Dublin Hospital, aged just 62, of a heart condition, having previously undergone only the third heart transplant operation in Ireland (in 1989).[3]

References

  1. The Grand National, Stewart Peters
  2. When Bobby Met Christy, Declan Colley
  3. When Bobby Met Christy, Declan Colley
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