'He was a one-off, an absolute star' - popular trainer Andy Lynch dies aged 76

Tributes have been pouring in for Grade 1-winning trainer Andy Lynch, who died on Wednesday night at the age of 76 with Noel Meade hailing him a "one-off".

Lynch sent out Zabana to win the Growise Champion Novice Chase at the Punchestown festival in 2016, a race in which Grand National hero Rule The World finished sixth.

The previous month he had been a leading fancy for the JLT Novices' Chase at the Cheltenham Festival but unseated Davy Russell at the start in dramatic circumstances as he was standing sideways when the tape was released.

Lynch spent over two decades as head lad to Meade before taking out his own training licence and the eight-time champion jumps trainer issued a glowing tribute, describing him as one of a kind.

'Nobody ever had a bad word to say about him'

Meade said: "Andy was a one-off, an absolute star. He must have been with me for over 20 years and we had some wonderful times together. I was so lucky to come across him when I did. He was an unbelievable man and everybody who ever spoke to him always said the same thing about him, that he was an absolute gentleman.

"He was a brilliant horseman too. He hunted for years with the Ward Union and I was delighted he came across a horse like Zabana when he went out on his own. I think everyone was thrilled for him. Everyone liked him and nobody ever had a bad word to say about him."

Lynch had been battling cancer for several years and Meade paid a visit to him last week.

He said: "I went to see him last Wednesday and we had a great chat. I said to him when you get better you'll have to come down to the yard for a visit. He turned to me and said, 'Sure everybody is calling to see me so I must be dying!' He never lost his wit. He was a great, great man. A one-off. He will be dearly missed."

Paul Carberry: 'He was a character and we did an awful lot of hunting together over the years'Credit: Caroline Norris (racingpost.com/photos)

Paul Carberry was Meade's number one when Lynch worked at his Tu Va stables and the pair remained great friends ever since.

The legendary rider said: "Andy was a great man. I've known him for a long, long time and we were great pals. I went to see him on Saturday and again yesterday [Wednesday] and I'm awful sad to see him pass away.

"He was a character and we did an awful lot of hunting together over the years. They were great times and some fantastic memories to look back upon."

The reason Lynch was able to go out on his own as a trainer was down to Zabana's owner Chris Jones, who built a gallop for him from which to operate in Killeen in County Meath 15 years ago.

Jones said: "Andy was extraordinary, a fabulous man. I started hunting with him in 2000 and I was so fond of him. I built the gallop in 2008 and the condition on building the gallop was that he would come and train from Killeen for me. That's how it all started.

"I followed him in the hunting field for many a year but, I'll tell you something, you'd want to be a brave man to follow Andy in a hunt!"

He added: "The day at Cheltenham with Zabana was very unfortunate. It's just sometimes in life it doesn't work out. But no horse or no trainer deserved to win a Grade 1 afterwards as much as Zabana and Andy. It was a magic day at Punchestown and one we'll never forget. The best compliment I could give Andy was that he was just a pleasure to be around. I loved his company."

'He was just some legend of a man altogether'

Keith Donoghue, who is enjoying his best season and sits in fifth place in the Irish jump jockeys' championship, said Lynch was the reason he got involved with horses and racing in the first place. He was his grand-uncle.

Donoghue said: "He was my granddad's brother and a legend. He was the reason I got involved with horses at the very start. He would bring me hunting and he taught me everything I know about horses. He was a great trainer too and I rode a few winners for him too. He was just some legend of a man altogether."

Lynch's last official winner as a trainer was Douglas Talking in a point-to-point bumper at Tipperary in May of 2021. He was sold afterwards and won three chases for Lucinda Russell last year.

His last runner was Park Hind, who finished fifth behind Cadatharla in a 2m3f handicap hurdle at Naas on the second Sunday of January.

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