Edward ‘Eddie’ Dempsey
(1911-1989) Jockey
Eddie Dempsey rode in point-to-points prior to taking out a professional licence in 1933, but never established himself among the top flight of jockeys, being known as ‘Winner a year Dempsey’. During his time as head lad to the Tom Dreaper stable, Dempsey was Prince Regent’s regular jockey in 1941, winning a hurdle and two steeplechases on the future champion.
In 1947 Herbie McDowell booked him to ride his two-time Ulster Grand National winner, Caughoo, in the Grand National when regular jockey, Aubrey Brabazon, declined the mount. His journey to Liverpool took him outside Ireland for the first time and a record field of 57 runners lined up in dense fog for the Grand National.
As a spectacle it was a non-event, nobody in the stands could see a thing and there were horses everywhere, 36 of the runners either falling or being pulled up and others hopelessly tailed off. One thing was certain, Lough Conn, ridden by Daniel McCann, led the field past the stands and out on the second circuit before disappearing into the gloom.
After an interval of eerie silence, the leader that emerged from the fog was Caughoo, holding a huge lead over Lough Conn. Surviving an awful blunder at the last fence, Caughoo romped home by 20 lengths at odds of 100/1.
Another inexplicable Grand National shock result turned into an enduring Aintree myth several years later, when the two jockeys involved, Eddie Dempsey and Daniel McCann, were hauled before a court for brawling in public.
Giving evidence in court, McCann accused Dempsey of cheating him out of the Grand National, alleging that he had pulled Caughoo up on the first circuit and was hacking home when the roar of the crowd encouraged him to rejoin the race and jump the last two fences. McCann was adamant that Lough Conn was leading the field and that no horse had passed him and was amazed when he realised that Caughoo was way ahead of him.
The issue was not resolved one way or another in the court, but the story was widely covered in the press and the public loved it. McCann’s conspiracy theory that Caughoo completed only one circuit instead of two is now part of Grand National legend and the tale has improved with the telling!
From an impulsive decision by a jockey on hearing the crowd roar him on, the story developed that Dempsey had hidden behind the third-last fence, at a deserted part of the course, deliberately waiting for the field to come round again. Eddie Dempsey retired in 1950.
Principal winners:
1933 Brave Edna (Prince of Wales’s Chase) L S Ward
1941 Prince Regent (Mickey Macardle Memorial/ Webster Cup) T W Dreaper
1947 Caughoo (Grand National) H McDowell
Mrs Walton F ‘Daphne’ Davison [May Kerr]
(1924-2017)
Walton Davison FRCVS and his wife Daphne owned and ran the Killarkin Stud, Dunboyne, previously home to ‘Toby’ Wellesley. There they stood the sprinter and successful sire Kelly for many years.
They bred the 1962 Irish 1000 Guineas winner Shandon Belle, in addition to 1974 Middle Park and Gimcrack winner Steel Heart, Hot Spark and Bitty Girl. Smokey Lady, the best to carry Daphne Davison’s colours, was a full-sister to Steel Heart.
Principal winners:
1979 Smokey Lady (Phoenix 1500) D K Weld
Major John Hubert de Burgh
(1921-2010)
Senior Steward, INHSC 1964
Educated in Stowe, Buckinghamshire, Major Hubert de Burgh was a career soldier, serving with distinction in WWII. A rider in Military races and point-to-points, he founded the Oldtown Stud, Naas, where he bred Spanish Express, Miss Petard and Welsh Garden. A Steward of the Turf Club, he was Senior Steward of the INHSC and served on the Racing Board.
Principal winners:
1944 Prince Blackthorn (Leopardstown Chase) M Arnott
Henryk de Kwiatkowski
(1924-2003)
Born in Poland, captured by the Russians early in WWII and sent to Siberia, Henryk de Kwiatkowski escaped and made his way to England, where he joined the RAF. After WWII he went to university, qualifing as an aeronautical engineer before going to America.
After working for the Pratt & Whitney aircraft engine company he established a prosperous aircraft leasing business. A keen polo player, de Kwiatkowski got into horse racing in the mid 1970’s, Danzig being the first good horse he owned.
He purchased the Calumet Stud and went on to win the Belmont Stakes, the third leg of the American Triple Crown, with Conquistador Cielo (1982) and Danzig Connection (1986). Henryk de Kwiatkowski died in the Bahamas on March 17th. 2003.
Principal winners:
1986 Polonia (Railway) J S Bolger
1990 Cielamour (Irish Lincoln) J S Bolger
1991 Star of Gdansk (Tetrarch/Desmond) J S Bolger
1999 Tiger Shark (McDonogh H’cap) J S Bolger
John T. ‘Jack’ Doyle
(1915-1998)
Educated at Presentation College, Bray, Jack Doyle became a leading bloodstock agent, with a reputation for buying value-formoney horses. Doyle purchased Revelry from Lord Harrington after the horse won a steeplechase at Naas in November1946, winning the 1947 Irish Grand National. He then sold Revelry to J D Clark, a patron of Fulke Walwyn’s stable at Lambourn.
Based at Springfield House, Shankill, Jack Doyle’s son Paul began training there before moving to the Curragh. Another son, Peter, took over the Doyle Bloodstock Agency while another son, John, became an auctioneer in Bray.
Principal winners:
1947 Revelry (Irish Grand National) R O’Connell
Cathal Finnegan
(d.1978) Jockey
Apprenticed to Vincent O’Brien until July 1953, Cathal Finnegan was a stylish Irish National Hunt jockey who won the Irish Grand National on Garoupe in 1970. In that race Garoupe beat Glencaraig Lady, his better fancied stable companion and subsequent Cheltenham Gold Cup heroine.
Troubled for several years by an old shoulder injury, Cathal Finnegan retired in 1972 to commence training. His body was found in the River Boyne in April 1978.
Principal winners:
1956 Cannobie Lee (Kerry National) A C Bryce-Smith
1957 Irish Coffee (Christmas Chase) C McCartan jr
1960 Jack’s the Boy (Prince of Wales’s Chase) P Sleator
1961 Scottish Memories (Mackeson Gold Cup) A Thomas
1962 Gold Nugget III (Kerry National) C O’Keeffe
1965 Packed Home (Kerry National) D Kinane
1966 Gypsando (Scalp Hurdle, Leopardtown) C B Harty, Albinella (Champion Nov Hurdle) P Sleator
1970 Garoupe (Irish Grand National) F Flood
Harry Freeman-Jackson
(1916-1993)
Born in the Punjab, Captain Harry Freeman-Jackson was captured at Dunkirk and spent the duration of WWII as a prisoner-of-war. Released in 1945, he and his wife Dorothy settled at Cool-na-Grena, Mallow.
A skilled horseman, Harry Freeman-Jackson became MFH of the Duhallows, competed for his adoptive country in the Olympic Games Three-day Event at Stockholm, Rome and Tokyo and won the 1963 Burghley Three-day Event on St Finbarr.
He had previously owned, trained and ridden Result to a hard-fought success in the Galway Plate, following upon wins at Navan and Thurles. His daughter Virginia - ‘Ginny’ - married Lord Petersham, destined to become the 12th earl of Harrington, in 1966.
Principal winners:
1949 Result (Galway Plate) O/T/R
Owner:
1956 Sam Brownthorn (Thyestes Chase) M V O’Brien