Irish Grand National Trainers

There are many trainers who have saddled winners of this great race, but we have spotlighted just three who we believe are amongst the cleverest and are always likely to saddle the winner.

• Jonjo O'Neill is a former national hunt jockey turned trainer, who trained the Irish Grand national 2007 winner, Butlers Cabin. He is a native of County Cork, but his training headquarters is in England. He is the leading private trainer for the famous racehorse owner, J P McManus. Jonjo was twice a champion jockey in the UK and was the jockey on the former dual Cheltenham Gold Cup and Champion Hurdle winner, Dawn Run. His number one choice jockey is Tony McCoy
   
• Tony Martin is rapidly becoming one of Ireland’s top trainers. Following a successful amateur career as a jockey, Tony got his training license in the early 1990’s. After a quiet start, he burst on the national Hunt scene with She’s Our Mare, who won a succession of races culminating in the big Handicap Hurdle at the Fairyhouse racecourse Easter Festival. Tony saddled the winner of the Irish Grand national in 2001 with Davids Lot, ridden by Timmy Murphy and with odds of 10/1. These days Tony Martin has a reputation as a shrewd trainer and his horses are amonst the most respected in Ireland.
   
• Mouse Morris Michael ‘Mouse’ Morris has become one of the leading trainers in Irish National Hunt racing. Formerly an amateur jockey, ‘Mouse’ won the plaudits for his very impressive perfomances at the Cheltenham Festival, particularly for his back to back wins in the Queen Mother Champion Chase on Skymas in 1976 and 1977. He was fortunate after he turned to training to get hold of a top horse so early. Buckhouse was a tremendous horse and Mouse trained him specifically to win the Novices Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival in 1983. Mouse was a surprised as anyomne last year, when his horse, Hear the Echo won the irish Grand National at odds of 33/1. See Irish Grand National 2008 result.