Onlooker - could you check something for me

Hi JEFKA -

Just missed out there, I'm afraid.

I have the IRISH FORM BOOK for 1985 onwards - and a 'Flashy Girl' is not in the Index of any for those 1980s.

I also have the British Form Books back to the Second World War - and many others from selected earlier years.

Unfortunately, the BRITISH FLAT Form Book only carries IRISH Results from the more Major Meetings - and there are NO Results for LISTOWEL in the 1980, or 1981, Books, that I checked.

I found a ... Flashy GAYLE - that ran as a 2-yr-old in 1978  ..
But, as it was not a Winner - those earlier Books do not give the name of the Trainer - other than for the Winner.

Flashy Gayle, however, ran once for Frank Yardley, in England, as a 4-yr-old.

Looking in the early 1980s/late 1970s BRITISH National HUNT Form Books, now, - on the off chance something may be in there - but doubtful, I fear.

Thanks Onlooker, really appreciate that. I'll check it out at the track if I get back for the races next month. They'll surely have records going back .

No joy - I'm sorry to say.

Nothing listed in Horses In Training' - for those years, either.

But - ONLY the top IRISH trainers submitted lists for publication.

Willy had a fairly small operation in Tipperary . He had a nephew Tommy Treacy who was fairly decent over the jumps. Another small trainer who was a close friend of his was Jackie Cullen another small Tipperary trainer at the time. Could those men drink whiskey or what ? I remember pre drink driving laws when people would drive home from the races with a horse box in tow and it was totally accepted. If you could walk the white line without staggering if stopped by the gardai was proof enough that you were fit too drive.  Mind you , there wouldn't be much pace on and not much traffic on the roads. How times have changed, some for the better of course ....

Ive got a Sept 81 Timeform.......not in there

JEFKA


I have read this thread and have asked the question above to some people I know ... I will report back if I hear anything helpful.

No mention of the horse in the Timeform annuals from 1979/80 to 1985/86.

There was a Flashy Girl foaled in 1973, by Beau Prince out of What A Dear, but it's an all-american pedigree, and I have no idea where (or if) she raced, so is perhaps not the one of Jefka's.

Thank you all. If I find out myself in the meantime I'll post here . Could be the 1973 by Beau Prince, that rings a little bell. All US Pedigrees were fairly common in Irish racing back then at the Summer meetings , so that wouldn't rule it out.

Jefka tell me this did willie eventually move up to the Curragh to train or was it a relation?

SG, I never heard of him moving to the Curragh but it's possible. I remember him regaling us in a Pub one Sunday after Open Coursing in Clonmel on the Sunday before the National Coursing week and I've a vague recollection that part of the open coursing was on his land . A Bitch of Jimmy Browne's "Ballyduff Sara" beat my old man's hound in the final of the Ladies International after getting a very dubious flag from Walter Dick. I'd sware to this day that our fellow got the first turn but Sara dived in as the hare was turning and worked harder after that but not enough to get the flag in my unbiased opinion. In any case we all ended up in a little country pub outside Clonmel where the drinks for the evening would have eaten well into Jimmy's prizemoney. Willy trained many a good horse over the years , one I remember was Cahir Castle . Now that I think of it the nephew of his who rode was Sean Treacy and not Tommy Treacy . He was one Ballsy jockey and was a rail hugger to boot. Sean may have taken out a trainers licence afterwards. I left the old country in 1989 and whilst I get back often and family are based at home didn't follow at all from 1997 until 2002 so very sketchy.

Interesting story jefka,

I notice there is  WF Treacy in the trainers list with a small string, he owns and trains a horse called Fethard Player, Fethard been in Tipp suggest a definite relation.

Jefka, are you talking about Willie Tracy Snr, or Jnr, Willie Tracy jnr trained on
the Curragh in my time there, at Lumville hse, with his brother Noel. Noel Kennedy and Frank
Ennis trained either side. Frank Berry rode most of the jumpers, and Mark Lynch rode the flat one's.
The old man was more or less house bound at the time, this would be 79/80. I don't remember Flashy girl.
I remember a good mare called Slygrin and about change.
The old man was a hard task master, and both Noel land Willie were the same. Willie gave up and started buying and selling a few.
I'll try dig out some stuff I kept from back then. Hope this is of some help. Got to shoot.

Sean Treacy rode for Paddy Mullins rode an old favourite of mine Counsel Cottage to win the first race at the Cheltenham festival in the mid seventies,he now trains a small string in Borris Co Carlow,Tommy Treacy is his nephew.

https://twitter.com/william_treacy

Motley is this the same Willie?, I knew Noel Treacy he use to go out with a Newbridge women whose husband died young am I correct motley?.

JEFKA, thought I owed you a favour seeing as we made the final and your crowd didn't...!
So I had one of my associates trawl through the results at the Listowel Festival meeting for you.

Bad news is they found no trace of a horse called Flashy Girl/Gal winning any race at the Festivals between 1975 and 1987, this means your brain must be fuddled from all the alcohol consumed in between time....!

The other possibility of course is that it was Tralee or Killarney perhaps rather than Listowel, any chance of that...?

One winner they did come across was Kylogue Lady which won the Kerry National ridden by S.Treacy who may be the fellow Sean you refer to above.

Have a rethink about it and let us know anything else you can remember that might assist

Thank Lads. Wildman you're right Sean Treacy did ride for Paddy Mullins and I'm sure I remember him riding in Mrs Hills (Dawn Run) colours. She of course used to ride her self 'til she was about 80,(maybe slight exaggeration), would be interesting if she was around today to see the compliments she'd get on here.
Motley, not certain if there is a connection between Willy Snr and the Willy who trained at the Curragh or the WF Treacy that SG refers to who is training a small string now. I'm sure old Willy trained a horse called Fethard Friend in the day. Sounds very likely to be some connection, I'll find out when I get back in September.
Langer don't mention the Hurling to me, very sore point. Was delighted to beat your boys in the Munster final but the performance against Clare was depressingly poor. Hopefully they might get another crack at it next year. I know my memory is bad but can't believe it's that bad. I'm pretty certain that it was in Listowel as went to Ballybunion on the lash afterwards. It's possible though that it might have been Tralee but definitely not Killarney. I'd put money on that the name is correct . It's a pity there's no on line archive of old results. I'm sure it would bring back some memories.
Motley , who were you attached to at the Curragh ? Was it early 80's . Did you know a brother of Christy Roche's , Tommy Roche who used to ride for Paddy Prendergast. I used to know him years later in Leatherhead, right old Character. Michael O'Hehir apparently as well as other used to know and refer to him as C0ck Roche. Sadly he passed away long before his time about 7 years ago.

JEFKA , CHRISTY AND MYSELF WENT OUT WITH TWO SISTERS ....Cant remember his brother though ....Christy LEARNT HIS TRADE DOWN IN BANCHA WITH THE RUSSELLS...

Yes Workrider they were from Bansha, Tommy was older than Christy. He used to tell me about a family sow that they had and when she was ready for the bore they'd open the pen and she'd toddle off down the road on her own to the neighbour who had a bore, after getting her seeing to she'd return home and give birth to a large number of Bonhams. Tommy said their old man lost her playing cards. Tommy (TP)told me he rode over 500 winners, can't vouch for that but he rode in India as well as at home. When Tommy left PP's he went to work in Epsom and I think he said he worked for John Sutcliffe and has a picture of his duaghter as a baby on JS's Grand National  Winner when he was there. When I knew Tommy he was looking after an estate in Leatherhead for a rich Qatari and had the life of a lord. Himself and Christy had a sister in Miami or Florida and he used to go there for a month every year. He smoked like a chimney and drank like a fish and was great company. He was a chronic asthmatic and was rushed in to hospital one day when he couldn't get his breath. As soon as he got out the first thing he did was go to the petrol station in the early hours of the morning for cigarettes and the misfortune passed away. Everyone in Leatherhead new him and if you went into the Dukes head now and mentioned him you'd get many a kind word about him. I was in there after the Epsom Derby recently and lots of his old mates were still talking about him. We all took off from work for his funeral and his brothers and sisters came over , big family , Christy didn't come but his wife did . We gave him a fine send off. His Son is/was a farrier around Epsom area.  Christy was one of my favourite jockeys ever. Some ride he gave Secreto to beat Eddery on El Gran Senor in that infamous Derby. The Russels taught him well. Are you from Bansha ? Do you know the Marnanes ?

Jefka, Willie snr landed over the reins to Willie F jnr, they were father and son, Noel was
the younger brother, they trained right across the road from lumville hse pub. I don't think
they were related to the other Tracy's mentioned. I went over to work at Osbourne lodge, for 3 months.
As for the year, I cant be certain, it was the year Chow Mein won the Galway Plate, I went in the box.
I was but a mere boy. Willie F Tracy jnr, would be at least 80 now. Didnt know Roche's brother.
I lodged in a place called Maryville, a couple of miles from the Curragh.

Silvergreser, that's a bizarre story on facebook, it's sounds like Willie ok, if there were a pic
I would recognize him.

Search History:
FLASHY GIRL (OLD) [1986] 26yo m

No JEFKA ,  student in the INS IN THE SEVENTIES ....christys future father in law work with me there , paddy mahoney a real gentleman , a cork man ,   Stayed in digs with DARKIES HEAD MANS MOTHER who lived next door to Christys wife ...Mick Russell was in the same year as me , So we hung around together a little ....

theonlywayforward -

Where have you got that from?

That Jackie Cullen fella you mention aboce ...Is he the fella that was found dead at his house with shotgun wounds back about 10  -11 years ago ?

aboce = *above

Motley one of the stables across from Lumville house a guy now sells used cars out of it.

Vivienne Kennedy trained a little further up the road as you were heading towards Newbridge.

As for where you lodged Maryville?, thats a housing estate in Kildare Town on the far side of the Curragh plains.

Stevie B , I hadn't heard that but it's possible. Was the person you're referring to a small Tipp trainer ? I'll check up with a few of my old man's associates who are still in the land of the living as they all knew each other from the racing.

JEFKA

Here's a link to the story I read



http://www.thefreelibrary.com/Ex-jump+jockey+Jackie+Cullen+found+shot+dead+at+home.-a079430855

Not the same man Stevie. Now that I've read that though I have probably got the trainers name wrong. Think it was Jimmy Cullen and I guess somewhere in the recess's had the name Jacky probably the jockey. Jimmy would have been about 20 years older than Hourigan and would have been 80 ish in 2001. This awful memory is getting embarrassing.