Mick O'Toole (18 September 1931 – 23 August 2018) was an
Irish
Irish may refer to:
Common meanings
* Someone or something of, from, or related to:
** Ireland, an island situated off the north-western coast of continental Europe
***Éire, Irish language name for the isle
** Northern Ireland, a constituent unit ...
racehorse trainer
A horse trainer is a person who tends to horses and teaches them different disciplines. Some of the responsibilities trainers have are caring for the animals' physical needs, as well as teaching them submissive behaviors and/or coaching them for e ...
, whose horses competed in both
Flat racing
Horse racing is an equestrian performance sport, typically involving two or more horses ridden by jockeys (or sometimes driven without riders) over a set distance for competition. It is one of the most ancient of all sports, as its basic p ...
and
National Hunt racing
In horse racing in the United Kingdom, France and Republic of Ireland, National Hunt racing requires horses to jump fences and ditches. National Hunt racing in the UK is informally known as "jumps" and is divided into two major distinct branches: ...
, and was active from 1966 to 1996, winning major races both in Ireland and Great Britain during the course of his career.
Greyhound racing
Born in
Dublin
Dublin (; , or ) is the capital and largest city of Republic of Ireland, Ireland. On a bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster, bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, a part of th ...
, O'Toole began his training career with greyhounds and won the 1965
Oaks with a greyhound called Marjone.
[
]
Horse racing
O'Toole became a horse trainer at Phoenix Park Racecourse
Phoenix Park Racecourse is a former horse racing venue in Ireland. It was located in the townlands of Ashtown and Castleknock in the civil parish of Castleknock on the northern edge of the Phoenix Park in Dublin. The course was founded by JHH ...
from 1966 to 1968 before moving to Maddenstown
Maddenstown () is a village in County Kildare, Ireland, south of The Curragh and east of Kildare town. It is situated in the barony of Offaly West and the parish of Ballysax.
Maddenstown is close to the Curragh race course and is a base for st ...
at the Curragh
The Curragh ( ; ga, An Currach ) is a flat open plain of almost of common land in County Kildare. This area is well known for Irish horse breeding and training. The Irish National Stud is located on the edge of Kildare town, beside the ...
where he trained until his retirement in 1996.Cheltenham Gold Cup
The Cheltenham Gold Cup is a Grade 1 National Hunt horse race run on the New Course at Cheltenham Racecourse in England, over a distance of about 3 miles 2½ furlongs ( ...
with Davy Lad and he also gained important Flat racing success with Dickens Hill
Dickens Hill is a fictional prison in the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders''. The prison is part of a storyline that first aired between 1988 and 1989. The storyline centres on the popular character Den Watts and was filmed on location at Dartmoor P ...
who won the 1979 Irish 2000 Guineas
The Irish 2,000 Guineas is a Group 1 flat horse race in Ireland open to three-year-old thoroughbred colts and fillies. It is run at the Curragh over a distance of 1 mile (1,609 metres), and it is s ...
and Eclipse Stakes
The Eclipse Stakes is a Group races, Group 1 Flat racing, flat Horse racing, horse race in Great Britain open to horses aged three years or older. It is run at Sandown P ...
.
References
1931 births
2018 deaths
Irish racehorse trainers
Irish greyhound racing trainers
Sportspeople from Dublin (city)
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