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Eddie Harty

Eddie’s ambition is, with your help, to grow Mulgrave Lodge into one of the leading National Hunt yards in Ireland. Eddie is married to Marie, one of the leading equine veterinary surgeons in the country. He is the first to admit that without her input, the yard would not be as efficient or successful as it is. The line continues. Eddie and Marie’s daughter Carolyn, a student at D.I.T, is a leading show rider and an important cog in the work riding team. Their son, Patrick, is assistant to Nicky Henderson in Lambourn.

Our History

 The Harty racing dynasty started as long ago as 1860, when John Harty is recorded as riding winners in the south of Ireland. His son Edmund followed suit and was the first man to ride short over fences. In the eyes of many at the time he got his come-uppance when killed in a fall in 1884! His brothers John and Michael carried on the tradition. Michael moved to Alston, Croom, Co Limerick, in 1897. Here he set up as the first public trainer in Ireland outside the Curragh. Michael had five sons all of whom became Jockeys. Michael jnr, Henry, George and John as professionals, Cyril as an amateur. Between 1904 and 1930 the quintet rode over 500 winners in Ireland. Cyril an accomplished horseman, joined the Free State army, and moved to Dublin. Here, he became the anchor for the Irish Army Showjumping team. This team was set up to advertise the merits of the Irish horse, an important export for the fledgling nation. The team competed with great success throughout Europe and the United States. Indeed it was on one such trip to the United States, whilst competing at Madison Square Gardens, that Cyril met Winifred Smith. They married and Winifred went on to be the matriarch of the next generation of jockeys and trainers. Cyril went on to train from Chapelizod on the edge of the Phoenix Park. He was renowned as a trainers of horses, jockeys and trainers. The highlight of his career came when he saddled Knight’s Crest to win the Irish Grand National, ridden by his star protégé, Martin Moloney. Cyril had three sons who rode and trained successfully. “Buster”, the eldest, rode very successfully as an amateur, both in Ireland and the UK, before taking over the training licence from Cyril. Buster went on to be a leading trainer. The star of his yard was Gypsando, the winner of the Scalp Hurdle, Leopardstown Chase, Guinness Chase and the Munster National. he was ridden to all these victories by his younger brother, John. John was a leading amateur and professional of his time, winning the Galway Plate, the Sweeps Hurdle on Master Monday and the Irish National on Daletta, which was trained by his brother in-law, Guy Williams, who married Cyril’s youngest daughter, Anne. John then went on to train many winners from his Batterstown, Co Meath yard before being tragically taken with Motor Neurone disease. The third racing son of Cyril’s is Eddie. Eddie, who had his first ride on the racetrack aged 14, went on to be one of the leading amateurs of his day.

Racing for Eddie had to be combined with showjumping and eventing. It was only after representing Ireland in the Three Day Event at the Rome Olympics of 1960 and marrying Patricia that Eddie focused his complete attention on racing. Eddie turned professional and went on to become one of the leading National Hunt jockeys of his time. After riding for Fred Rimell, Tim Moloney and Fred Winter, Eddie became first jockey to Toby Balding at Weyhill. Their association yielded many top successes, the zenith being the 1969 Grand National victory of Highland Wedding. Injury forced Eddie’s retirement in 1971 and he purchased Strawhall, on the edge of the Curragh. From Strawhall Eddie sent out many winners. both Flat and National Hunt. Strawhall also served as a nursery for many of the top english horses of their time, who all started their career with Eddie. Half Free, Fifty Dollars More and Katabatic are some examples. Eddie and Patricia had three children. The youngest, Freda, became a top restaurateur, owning, with husband Paul, the famous Berney’s restaurant in Kilcullen. Eoin, the second child, emigrated to America in the early 1980’s. After a number of years as assistant to Bob Baffert, Eoin was recruited by Godolphin to be their American trainer and his career has not looked back. Victories in the Breeders Cup juvenile with Tempura and the Dubai World Cup with Well Armed are the highlights to date. Eldest son, Eddie, was forced by economic necessity of the time to earn a living in the money markets. After a successful career trading financial instruments, Eddie decided in 2003, to return to the family business. Eddie took out his training licence in March 2004. Vindication soon followed when the home-bred Misty Mountain won the Irish Stallion Farms Maiden at Leopardstown in June of that year. A steady stream of winners followed but it was the sale of Captain Cee Bee to J.P.McManus in 2007 that proved to Eddie in which direction he wished to travel. The culmination of the 2007/2008 season was the victory of Captain Cee Bee in the Supreme Novices Hurdle at Cheltenham. This victory told Eddie that this was where he wanted to compete. The yard has continued to flourish with graded victories coming from the likes of Captain Cee Bee, Likeyourstyle, Carrigmartin, Princeton Plains and Dressedtothenines along with flat listed winners Corcovada and Baron Del.

Highland Wedding