JACK Kidd, breeder of top National Hunt horses Double Symphony, Nil Desperandum and Willoughby Court, passed away peacefully on Christmas Day at Connolly Hospital in Dublin. From Mulgeeth House in Enfield, Co Meath, he is survived by his wife Anne and their four daughters.

In 2017 his daughter Susan accepted an award from the ITBA in recognition of Willoughby Court’s Grade 1 success at the Cheltenham Festival. Jack also won a Connolly’s Red Mills The Irish Field Breeder of the Month Award that year.

Double Symphony was one of Aidan O’Brien’s first winners when ridden by the trainer to win a Killarney bumper in 1994. The Orchestra mare won 11 races in total, including the Grade 1 two-mile novice chase at the 1995 Leopardstown Christmas Festival.

Trained by Frances Crowley, Nil Desperandum won seven races including the Grade 1 Drinmore Novice Chase in 2003.