Tribute paid to late director of Ballinrobe Racecourse

Ballinrobe Racecourse lost one of its directors, John Daly, yesterday (Sunday) in this, the centenary year of the complex.

“To say that John was synonymous with racing here is an understatement,” said Ballinrobe Racecourse manager John Flannelly in a moving tribute to Mr. Daly.

He continued: “2021 is the centenary year of Ballinrobe Racecourse and the involvement with the Daly family and racing spans back much further than 1921. John grew up in Lough Mask House on the shores of the famous Lough Mask, where he plied his trade all of his life as a breeder, trainer and jockey.

“In 1952, The Quiet Man was filmed in Cong. There was a beach racing scene in the film, to which John supplied all of the horses and indeed rode one of them himself. One of the horses in the scene later named The Quiet Man was sold to Italian owners and competed for the Aga Khan Cup in 1954, winning it with two clear rounds and ridden by the famous Captain Raimondo d’Inzeo.

“John was also well known on the show jumping circuit and was well able to take on the champion stone wall in his time. In the early '70s, he featured in the David Shaw-Smith documentary Connemara and Its Ponies. Again, he was a judge, breeder and promoter of the Connemaras.

“John had much success on the race track with horses such as ‘Ponjo’s Fancy’, ‘Western Problem’, ‘Musical Doll’, ‘Proud Madam’ and ‘Ballymac Lad’, to name but a few. ‘Ponjo’s Fancy’ was to become the dam of the high-class hurdler/chaser ‘Bula’, who won two champion hurdles.

“Another horse of note was ‘Desu Barker’, who held the five-furlong record at Ballydoyle and went on to win at Leopardstown before moving on to the Paddy Mullins yard and winning several times over hurdles.”

Mr. Flannelly's tribute concluded: “John Daly was a proud family man and a lover of all things equine. He was a director and member of Ballinrobe Racecourse for many years and was very proud to see it develop into the top-class facility it is today, from the days he rode around it as a young jockey. He leaves a legacy part of which the continued involvement of the Daly family in the racecourse is assured.

“Every time we hear horses’ hooves on the Ballinrobe turf, memories of John won’t be far away. Ar dheis De go raibh a anam.”