Pat Taaffe
Patrick "Pat" Taaffe (1930, Dublin - 7 July 1992, Dublin) was a National Hunt jockey who famously rode Arkle to win three Cheltenham Gold Cups between 1964 and 1966.
Arkle and Taaffe, the pair who dominated National Hunt racing in the mid-sixties, won the Irish Grand National, the King George VI chase, 2 Hennessy Gold Cups, 3 Cheltenham Gold Cups and the Whitbread Cup.
Taaffe was also a capable winner without the help of Arkle, he also won a fourth Gold Cup, 2 Grand Nationals and recorded 6 Irish Nationals (1954 Royal Approach, 1955 Umm, 1959 Zonda, 1961 Fortria, 1964 Arkle, 1966 Flyingbolt) .
Pat Taaffe also won the 1970 Grand National in Aintree, Liverpool on the Fred Rimell trained 15-1 shot, Gay Trip, 20 lengths clear of his nearest pursuer.[1] After retiring as a jockey, Taaffe went on to train Captain Christy, 1974 Gold Cup winner. Although a brilliant horseman, the business side of training did not come naturally to him and his training career did not flourish.[2]
He died in 1992 in Dublin Hospital, aged just 62, of a heart condition, having previously undergone only the third heart transplant operation in Ireland (in 1989).[3]