The 114th running of the Irish Derby was held on Saturday 30th June 1979 over 1 mile 4 furlongs of The Curragh. Subscriptions were £1385 with a pot of £50,000 added. The winner was owned and bred at Ballymacoll Stud in Ireland by Sir Michael Sobell, trained by Dick Hern at West Illsely and ridden by Willie Carson. The winner won by 4 lengths in 2 minutes 30.6 seconds, with 2 1/2 lengths between second and third.

IRISH DERBY 1979

TROY (Bay colt by Petingo out of La Milo) SR 2122

The winning owner won £96,910 (The equivalent of £466,100 in today's terms based on Bank of England inflation calculator).

The Youtube link below is a 3 minutes 27 second clip of the 1979 Irish Derby https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ITbcCT1ksOc
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Pos. Horse Weight Jockey Owner Trainer
1 TROY 9.0 Willie Carson Sir Michael Sobell Dick Hern
2 DICKENS HILL 9.0 Tony Murray Mrs Jean Pierre Binet Michael O'Toole
3 BOHEMIAN GROVE 9.0 Willie Shoemaker Mr William McDonald Adrian Maxwell
4 SCORPIO 9.0 Philippe Paquet Mr Gerald Oldham Francois Boutin
5 THE BART 9.0 Christy Roche Mr Franklin Groves Ted Curtin
6 LASKA FLOKO 9.0 Lester Piggott Captain Marcos Lemos Clive Brittain
7 FABULOUS DANCER 9.0 Freddie Head Mrs Ghislaine Head Christiane Head
8 BALLYBOGGAN PRINCE 9.0 Ray Carroll Mr F H Langan John M Oxx
9 RIVADON 9.0 Brian Proctor Lady Beaverbrook Dick Hern
  Betting

TRAINER PROFILE
William Richard Hern, universally known as Dick, was born on 20th January 1921 and after leaving school he began a career in the Army reaching the post of Major. Part of his role in the Army was a riding instructor and he used that knowledge and experience to become a racehorse trainer. Initially, in 1958, he became a private trainer for Major Lionel Holliday at La Grange Stables in Newmarket, but then moved to West Ilsley in 1962 from where he secured 4 Champion Trainers titles in 1962, 1972, 1980 and 1983. He also won 16 English Classics, including the Epsom Derby and Epsom Oaks three times. His first Oaks winner was in 1977 with Dunfermline (SR 2061), followed in 1980 with Bireme (SR 1974), and finally in 1983 with Sun Princess (SR 2013). He captured the Epsom Derby in 1979 with Troy (SR 2122), 1980 Henbit (SR 2017), 1989 Nashwan (SR 2095). However, his specialist subject was how to win the St Leger, which he did 6 times, 1962 Hethersett (SR 2050), 1965 Provoke (SR 1979), 1974 Bustino (SR 2107), 1977 Dunfermline (SR 2061), 1981 Cut Above (SR 1993), 1983 Sun Princess (SR 2013). He was successful when crossing the Irish Sea in 1979, winning the Irish Derby with Troy (SR 2122). He died on 22 May 2002 aged 81.
4/9 fav Troy
9/2 Dickens Hill
7/1 Fabulous Dancer
12/1 Scorpio
40/1 Laska Floko
50/1 The Bart
66/1 Bohemian Grove
100/1 Ballyboggan Prince
300/1 Rivadon
  Over round 104%
FORMLINE:- Troy won comfortably by 4 lengths in 2 minutes 30.6 seconds to complete an English/Irish Derby double. In all he raced 11 times, winning 8 races.

ISBN 978-0-9957632-0-3

652 pages

774 former courses

ISBN 978-0-9957632-1-0

352 pages

400 former courses

ISBN 978-0-9957632-2-7

180 pages

140 former courses

ISBN 978-0-9957632-3-4

264 pages

235 former courses
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