Red Rum's breeder Martyn McEnery dies at the age of 88

Martyn McEnery, best known as the breeder of the mighty Red Rum, has died aged 88.

For more than half a century, McEnery and his family have run Rossenarra Stud near Kells in County Kilkenny and it was there, on May 3, 1965, that the only horse to have ever won three Grand Nationals was born. Red Rum, who gained his name from the last three letters of his dam, Mared, and sire, the Sussex Stakes winner Quorum, was essentially bred to be a sprinter and left the stud when bought by Tim Molony for 400gns at the sales at Ballsbridge.

The mare, who McEnery owned, had been considered so untrainable that she was sent back to him by Phonsie O'Brien but he had managed to prepare her himself for a solitary success at Galway.

"Mared was the same foaling as she was racing - all smoke and steam," McEnery once said. "It is just unbelievable that Red Rum could go on racing for so long without showing any sign of that temperament of his mother’s."

Red Rum: the greatest horse bred by Martyn McEneryCredit: Getty Images

He is certainly not the only distinguished member of the Rossenarra alumni and McEnery was awarded the lifetime achievement by the Irish Thoroughbred Breeders’ Association for 2010.

McEnery rode in point-to-points and trained a number of winners under permit and his stud produced the likes of Dick Turpin, The Deputy, Heeraat and Halmahera on the Flat as well as several very classy National Hunt performers in Remittance Man and Bacchanal. He was active on the farm, inspecting the yearlings, even up until earlier this week.

Rossenarra stood a number of stallions, as well as boarding and keeping around 20 of the family’s own broodmares. Sires to have been based there in the past included Pardal, Polyfoto, Jupiter Pluvius and Fayruz. McEnery passed the baton on to his son John a few years ago, with the stud latterly standing the dual-purpose operator Windsor Knot.

"He was in an era of breeders and horsemen that are leaving the sport," John McEnery said. "It was a different time when they did it the hard way.

"He was a good man and a good father, he pointed us all in the right direction."

The grandson of Lady Hazel Lavery, who married the celebrated painter Sir John Lavery, Martyn McEnery was previously based in Kilmoganny, where the family had an ancestral home, Rossenarra House.

He is survived by wife Máire, another son Paul and daughter Hazel, and sisters Mary and Jacqueline. There will be a private funeral at St Eoghan’s Church, Kilmoganny on Sunday, with family flowers only. Donations, if desired, can be made to St. Joseph’s Home, Kilmoganny.

More to read on bloodstock:

Juddmonte's Garrett O'Rourke tells us about the brilliant breeding of Tacitus

'I think the bloodstock industry needs to e regulated' - Johnny Hon

Best of Times for Newspaperofrecord breeder Allan Belshaw