Quick Links:About Tom Taaffe
Tom, son Pat, uncle Toss, wife Elaine holding Alex and Kicking King in the charge of Shane Moloney, Travelling Head Lad.Tom Taaffe is one of Ireland's leading National Hunt trainers. Tom comes from one of Ireland's best known National Hunt families - his grandfather, also Tom, who trained English Grand National winner Mr What in 1958 and his own late father Pat who rode the mighty Arkle and also trained many Grade 1 winners including Captain Christy, winner of the Cheltenham Gold Cup and twice winner of the King George VI.
Tom now lives at Portree Stables with his wife Elaine and their two children, Pat and Alex.
Tom enjoyed a fine career as a jockey enjoying plenty of big race winners. One of his biggest wins as a jockey came on Brittany Boy in the 1987 Irish Grand National at Fairyhouse. During his riding career he rode over 400 winners.
It was only natural that Tom would start training after finishing his riding career and he has steadily become one of Ireland's top National Hunt trainers since he began in 1994. One of his first big winners was Delphi Lodge in the 1998 Power Gold Cup at the Fairyhouse Easter Meeting where he was also leading trainer. In the past 11 years Tom and his team have enjoyed many Grade 1 victories, most notably the 2004 and 2005 King George VI Chase and the 2005 Tote Sport Cheltenham Gold Cup with the Conor Clarkson owned Kicking King.
His series of winning victories continued at the Cheltenham National Hunt Festival in 2008, claiming the Jewson Novices' Handicap Chase with Finger Onthe Pulse, and in 2009 with Ninetieth Minute taking the Coral Cup Handicap Hurdle.
His many Grade I successes in Ireland include the Baileys Arkle Novice Chase, the William Hill Troytown Handicap Chase and the Ladbrokes Munster National.
In 2009 Tom's yard was the venue for the launch of the Leopardstown Racecourse Christmas Festival. Read more about the launch and about Tom on the Horse Racing Ireland website.