Matt O Donnell R.I.P

Nowso

The death occurred early today of legendary Irish trainer Matt O’Donnell who is acknowledged as one of the greatest trainers the sport of greyhound racing has ever known.

O’Donnell was born in Moyglass but has spent much of his life in Killenaule and from his kennels there emerged some of the greatest greyhounds of our time. He won most of the leading events in the world of greyhound racing but has suffered continuing illness in recent years. He would have celebrated his 83rd birthday on June 23rd.
He first took out a trainer’s licence in 1968 and made an instant impact. He began to produce wholesale winners and really hit the headlines back in 1978 in the Produce Stakes at Clonmel. There he got five dogs through to the final of the classic and only missed out on a sixth finalist in a photo-finish. Always Kelly led home an O’Donnell 1-2-3-4-5 in the final.
That great achievement came just a few months after he moved into his splendid new kennels in Rathmoyley, two miles outside Killenaule.
MAJOR WINNERS
The winners started to flow with the likes of Rhu winning the St Leger at Limerick and he was only barely foiled of victory in the English St Leger final at Wembley. But he did win the English Derby Consolation with Malange.
Spartacus won the Easter Cup in 1994 and this great dog went on to reach the English and Irish Derby finals. Spartafitz added another Easter Cup and he made it three on the trot in this competition with Lassana Champ and the great dual winner Farloe Melody.
Matt had always sought to win a Derby and the big moment came in 1990 when he worked wonders with the bitch The Other Toss which came back from her seasonal break to land the Respond Irish Derby.
Once he achieved a first Derby success, others quickly followed. He won the 1991 Irish Derby with Ardfert Mick and then crossed the Irish Sea in 1992 to win the English Derby with Farloe Melody.
Probably his greatest success ever was in 1995 when he turned out Batties Rocket and Batties Spirit for a Derby 1-2 at Shelbourne.
MASSIVE CAREER
Skywalker Queen won the Irish Oaks in 2009 and ran-up the classic a year later. The last of the major winners was Skywalker Puma as he stormed to victory in the 2012 Irish Derby final.
A brief resume of his career will show that he won the Irish Derby four times, one English Derby, no fewer than seven Irish St Legers, three Produce Stakes, two Irish Oaks, two Guinness 600, five Easter Cups, four Dundalk Internationals, Corn Cuchulainn, National Puppy Stake, two Waterford Masters, Graham 700, National Sprint and an Irish Grand National. And, yes, I almost forgot, he also won the 1976 Waterloo Cup with Minnesota Miller.
He is survived by wife Frances, daughters Mary B and Jennifer, son Matthew and extended family. We offer our sincere sympathies to the O’Donnell family on the passing of a man who could truly be described as having been a legend in his own lifetime.
Funeral Details later.
May He Rest In Peace

abarkie

I can remember backing Farloe Melody at 25/1 in about January 1992

Really gave me a buzz about greyhounds back then

Happy memories

RIP