Leading owner and Irish international rugby star Tony O'Reilly dies at the age of 88

Tony O'Reilly, an Irish business titan, a sporting legend and a prominent racehorse owner, has died at the age of 88.

O'Reilly was an influential figure in Irish racing as the promoter of several important race sponsorships and enjoyed notable success as an owner in a period of roughly 15 years from the late 1980s. 

However, he played no substantial part in the bloodstock activities that were the consuming passion of his second wife, the former Chryss Goulandris, a distinguished breeder and owner who predeceased him last year.

O'Reilly, who made his international rugby debut for Ireland at the age of 18 in 1955, was an outstanding winger for his country and the British Lions, for whom he scored a record 37 tries. 

For much of his life, he had a gilded career in business. In his capacity as chief executive of Heinz, he undertook the sponsorship of the Phoenix Stakes, a historic Phoenix Park race popularly known as the Fifteen Hundred, helping to consolidate its status as one of Ireland's leading juvenile races. 

During his time as chairman of Independent Newspapers, the company took on sponsorship of the Pretty Polly Stakes at the Curragh. O'Reilly's black and white racing colours were borrowed from his old school Belvedere College and its associated Old Belvedere rugby club. 

Foxchapel King: the best horse owned by Tony O'ReillyCredit: MSI Caroline Norris 50% NO PRIVA

When he ventured into racehorse ownership in the late 1980s, Belvederian, a Deep Run gelding trained by Mouse Morris, was a fine standard-bearer, winner of 11 races over jumps, including a valuable chase at the 1994 Punchestown festival.

Morris trained his best horse over jumps, Foxchapel King, whose 12 wins included a superb hat-trick in the final months of 2001, landing the Munster National, the Champion Chase at Down Royal, and the Ericsson Chase at Leopardstown. He also won the Troytown Chase in 1999 and the Intervet Trophy at Cheltenham in 2000 and finished second to Commanche Court in the Irish Grand National in the same year.

In 2002, O'Reilly enjoyed Cheltenham Festival success with the Arthur Moore-trained Fadoudal Du Cochet in the Grand Annual.

On the Flat, O'Reilly's colours were carried by Andros Bay, a Vincent O'Brien-trained Alleged colt who won three races and was never worse than second in a six-race career that culminated in victory under Lester Piggott in the 1992 Blandford Stakes.

He was knighted in the 2001 New Year Honours by Queen Elizabeth II “for long and distinguished service to Northern Ireland”.