'He was a difficult horse to handle but he was a great character' - Irish icon Vinnie Roe dies aged 27

Vinnie Roe, who wrote his name into racing history with four consecutive Irish St Leger victories, has died at the age of 27. 

The Irish icon won 13 of his 29 starts over six seasons in training with Dermot Weld, most notably claiming the Irish St Leger each year from 2001 to 2004. He also won the Group 1 Prix Royal-Oak in 2001 and was named European champion stayer at the 2002 Cartier awards. He was ridden in all but one of his races by the late, great Pat Smullen. 

He spent the latter years of his stallion career at Longford House Stud in Tipperary, where he lived out his retirement having been pensioned from covering duty in 2019.

“He’s been in great health and he had his 9am feed as normal but just went down in his box straight afterwards. It looked like a heart attack,” the stud’s John Baldwin said on Wednesday morning. 

“He was a difficult horse to handle, but he was a great character and we developed a good working relationship. The sadness is that he didn’t quite make the Irish St Leger this weekend, being so synonymous with the race.”

Team Vinnie Roe: Dermot Weld and Pat Smullen

Vinnie Roe also rose in the racing public’s affections having appeared in three renewals of the Melbourne Cup. He finished fourth to stablemate Media Puzzle in 2002, second to the mighty Makybe Diva in 2004 but could manage only eighth behind the latter rival the following year. 

He also came within a neck of winning the Gold Cup when just denied by Royal Rebel in the Royal Ascot showpiece in 2002, and was third to Collier Hill, one place ahead of Yeats, on his fifth and final crack at the Irish St Leger in 2005. 

Vinnie Roe was bred by Virginia Moeran when her Tap On Wood mare Kayu visited Definite Article. The resulting foal was born on April 6, 1998 and headed to the sales later that year. He fetched 48,000gns as a foal and was resold through Yeomanstown Stud the following year, when his trainer signed the ticket at 50,000gns. 

Weld bought the colt on behalf of film director Jim Sheridan, who owned the horse in partnership with Antonio Balzarini. 

Although Vinnie Roe had limited opportunities with his Flat runners, he was responsible for a sprinkling of talented jumpers. 

His highest-rated runner was the classy Vinndication, who won a Grade 2 novice chase at Ascot as well as the Grade 3 Sodexo Gold Cup Handicap Chase. His career-best Racing Post Rating of 165 was achieved in the Charlie Hall Chase, in which he finished runner-up to Cyrname. 

Vinnie Roe also came up with the likes of Claret Cloak, Imperial Alcazar and ill-fated Cheltenham Festival runner-up Neon Wolf. His name has been kept in lights as a broodmare sire thanks to notable performers such as Firefox, Sandor Clegane and The Bosses Oscar.

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