Gigginstown House Stud

Founded in 2000, Gigginstown House Stud is situated in Delvin, near Mullingar, County Westmeath in central Ireland. The operation is owned by businessman Michael O’Leary – best known outside racing as the CEO of budget airline group Ryanair – and his brother, Eddie, acts as racing manager. In a quarter of a century, the now familiar maroon and white colours have become synonymous with National Hunt racing on both sides of the Irish Sea, not least at the Cheltenham Festival.

Of course, to the wider public said colours are most recognisable as those carried by Tiger Roll who, in 2019, became the first horse since Red Rum, in 1974, to win back-to-back renewals of the Grand National. However, it should not be forgotten that Tiger Roll, who was retired from racing in March 2022, remains one of just three horses to have won five or more races at the Cheltenham Festival. For the record, the others were Quevega, who won the David Nicholson Mares’ Hurdle six years running between 2009 and 2014, and the legendary Golden Miller, who won the Cheltenham Gold Cup five years running between 1932 and 1936.

Tiger Roll won the Triumph Hurdle in 2014, the National Hunt Challenge Cup in 2017 and the Glenfarclas Chase three times, in 2018, 2019 and 2021. Indeed, the Cross Country Course at Prestbury Park has proved a happy hunting ground for Gigginstown House Stud with Rivage D’Or (2015) and Delta Work (2022, 2023) also successful in the Glenfarclas Chase, for a total of six wins in that race alone. Gigginstown has also won the Cheltenham Gold Cup twice, with War Of Attrition in 2006 and Don Cossack in 2016, with other notable Grade 1 victories for the likes of Weapon’s Amnesty, First Lieutenant, Very Wood, Doni Poli, Apple’s Jade and Samcro, among others, down the years.