Willie O'Grady

Willie O’Grady

Although purely a National Hunt jockey and too heavy to ride on the Flat, Willie O’Grady topped the combined Irish champion jockeys’ list on three occasions, winning it outright in both 1934 and 1935 and sharing the title with Tim Regan the following year. In England he won the Grand Sefton Chase at Aintree at rode in five Grand Nationals. 

His major victories at Punchestown’s Kildare & National Hunt meeting included three successive renewals of the Governor-General’s Cup Chase on Brown Ivy (1925, 1926, 1927), the La Touche Memorial Challenge Cup in 1929 on Little Knight, three successive victories in the Bishopscourt Cup Chase on Garryvogue (1933, 1934, 1935) and the 1940 Conyngham Cup on Ballyhooley. 

However, the best horse he rode was the brilliant Irish mare Heartbreak Hill, trained by Harry Ussher. Willie partnered her to victory five times in Ireland and also landed the 1931 Grand Sefton Chase, beating the previous year’s Grand National third Sir Lindsay by eight lengths. 

On the back of that and further wins at Leopardstown and Nass, Willie and Heartbreak Hill were sent off favourites for the 1932 Grand National. They were among the leaders when the riderless Pelorus Jack ran across the eleventh fence, the last ditch before coming on to the ‘racecourse proper’, putting several runners out of the race including two previous winners, Gregalach and Grakle. Heartbreak Hill was pushed into the wing and Willie was forced to put her back at the fence in order to continue. All chance of winning disappeared with that interference, although they battled on and eventually got round in sixth place, finishing in front of two remounters. 

Willie rode Heartbreak Hill in the 1933 Grand National, for which they started 100-8 third favourites behind Golden Miller and Grakle, only to fall at the Canal Turn on the first circuit. 

He rode 25-1 chance Bachelor Prince in the 1935 Grand National, completing the course last of the six finishers. On February 26, 1936 he partnered Lord Derby’s ten-year-old gelding Hillsbrook to win a valuable handicap chase at Newbury, beating future Grand National winner Royal Mail by a short head. Among the other runners that day were Kellsboro’ Jack, Delaneige and the topweight and evens favourite Golden Miller, who ran out. Willie and Hillsbrook then took their chance in the 1936 Grand National, only to part company at the eleventh fence. 

Another good horse he rode was Brighter Cottage, trained, like Heartbreak Hill, by Harry Ussher. Willie won seven races on him, beginning with the Sandyford at Chase at Leopardstown’s 1936 Christmas meeting. Together they won the 1937 Galway Handicap Chase (as the Galway Plate was then known), then added the South of Ireland National Handicap Chase at Limerick Junction (known today as Tipperary). Willie partnered Brighter Cottage in the 1938 Grand National, won that year by Battleship, but were among the fallers on the first circuit. 

In addition to his five rides in the Grand National and his victory on Heartbreak Hill in the Grand Sefton Chase, Willie had three other rides over the formidable Liverpool fences. He finished second, beaten two lengths, on Philalice in the 1932 Molyneux Chase, fell on Hillsbrook in the 1935 Grand Sefton Chase, and completed the course eighth of nine finishers on Brighter Cottage in the 1937 Grand Sefton Chase. 

He rode in the Irish Grand National eleven times without success, although he was placed in the race four times. He came closest on Cottage Owl in 1934, when beaten three-quarters of a length by Poolgowran, the mount of Bob Everett. Willie had to put up 3lb overweight to ride at 9st 10lb and that was probably the difference between victory and defeat.  

He retired from race-riding in the early 1940s and took up training, based at Killenaule Stables, Ballynonty, Co. Tipperary, thus beginning a successful second career that would continue until his death some 30 years later.  

Having failed to win the Irish Grand National as a jockey, he atoned for that by training two winners of the race, Hamstar in 1948 and Icy Calm in 1951.

He also enjoyed success at Cheltenham’s National Hunt meeting. Arguably his finest achievement was saddling Solfen to win on successive days in 1960. On the Wednesday he won the Broadway Novices’ Chase – later to become the Royal & Sun Alliance Chase – by 25 lengths in the hands of Pat Taaffe. As Solfen was not the easiest horse to keep right (he suffered from leg problems) and appeared fresh and well after Wednesday’s exertions, Willie decided to run him again the next day. Hence, on the Thursday, 22 hours later, he turned out again to land the Spa Hurdle (now the Stayers’ Hurdle), ridden this time by Bobby Beasley, winning by a length in a field of twenty-one runners.

Probably the best horse he trained was the top-class chaser Kinloch Brae. Willie saddled him to win nine races including, in 1969, Cheltenham’s Cathcart Chase and the Power Gold Cup at Fairyhouse.

On his death in 1972, his son Eddie took over the stable and went on to become a leading trainer of jumpers, winning an Irish Grand National with Bit Of A Skite in 1983. 

Willie O’Grady’s English winners were as follows:

1. Coronoher, Manchester, November 1, 1929

2. Sarong, Hawthorn Hill, November 21, 1929 (dead heat)

3. Pamperer, Kempton Park, November 26, 1930

4. Elcho, Plumpton, January 3, 1931

5. Elcho, Lingfield Park, February 27, 1931

6. Rattlin The Reefer, Gatwick, March 7, 1931

7. Heartbreak Hill, Liverpool, November 12, 1931

8. Hillsbrook, Newbury, February 26, 1936

9. Dawmar, Birmingham, December 1, 1936