Funeral of horse trainer Clem Magnier in Florida today

The funeral takes place in Florida today (Thursday) of Clem Magnier, the retired horse trainer who was based at many years at Clifden Lodge, Athboy. He passed away suddenly in Florida on Saturday last, aged 98, having been living in Florida for about fifteen years.
Clem Magnier had a successful training career with big race wins on both the flat and over jumps over the years, having grown up in a family that was involved in horses for generations.

From Fermoy on Co Cork, his father owned Grange Stud, and Clem was born in 1917. After school, he spent 11 years with his father, who stood Cottage, sire of many top-class chasers, including Cottage Rake, the horse which won three Cheltenham Gold Cups for Vincent O’Brien.
With no commitment from his father on the future of the family farm, he gave him 12 months’ notice, and moved to Dublin. He spent the next three years living in the Dolphin Hotel, making a precarious living by backing horses and playing cards.
His brother, Tom, inherited the home farm and offered him a horse to train. He began his training career while based with his sister and her family in Kilsheelan, Co Tipperary, and enjoyed success withg his first horse, Cavaliero, whom Tom sold to Doroty Paget. With part of the proceeds from the sale, Clem began his training career in earnest, with Overshadow, Teapot II, and Prince of Devon.
Clem Magnier’s first major success was in the 1951 Naas November Handicap with Price Of Devon. It was owned by Ursula Quirk from Carrick-on-Suir, who was to become his wife. The horse won the Galway Hurdle in 1953, and the Thyestes Chase at Gowran Park in 1954, before being sold to America.
Overshadow II was a 20-1 winner of the Irish Grand National at Fairyhouse, at the age of 13. No horse of his age has won the race since then.
Teapot II won the County Hurdle in 1953, two days after finishing third in the Champion Hurdle, after a 12 hour sea journey. Teapot II won a big handicap hurdle at Aintree the same year, and later joined Vincent O’Brien.
In 1958, on the opening day of the Cheltenham Festival, Magnier enjoyed two victories, when Top Twenty landed the Grand Annual Chase under Francis Shortt, and favourite Springsilver under Bobby Beasley won the Birdlip Handicap Hurdle. Top Twenty under Fred Winter became the first of only two horses in the post-war era to capture the Grand Annual twice, when it won a year later carrying 12 st 6 Ib, 27 lb more than 12 months earlier.
At the same meeting, he saddled Albergo to win the Gloucestershire (Supreme Novices’) hurdle, and three days later, the horse won at Hurst Park before going on to win the Coronation Hurdle at Aintree on Grand National Day.
Clem and Ursula were operating from Clerihan, Co Tipperary, but found that it was too far away from the big race meetings, and moved to Athboy in 1960, to Rathvale, the former racing stables of Reggie Walker, a top National Hunt trainer. Clem concentrated more on Flat racing, and later, bought neighbouring Trimblestown.
Clem’s big-race successes on the Flat included Pianissimo, who won the 1969 Phoenix Stakes, and Just A Game, who landed the 1978 Beresford Stakes.
He recorded his most sensational Flat win when Just a Game triumphed at 50-1 under Tommy Carberry in the 1978 Beresford Stakes. He won several big handicaps with fillies, including the Naas November with Miss Patsy and Fiora in 1961 and ‘62 respectively, and the Rockingham Handicap with Bililah in 1974.
Clem Magnier recorded three more Galway Hurdle wins, with Dictora in 1970, Double Default in 1975, and Double Wrapped in 1981. The latter two also won the big amateur handicap at Galway with his son, Colin, on board.
Tommy Murphy, who later went to work with Vincent O’Brien, and was 177 champion flat jockey, worked as head man and jockey for Clem Magnier at Rathvale for 10 years, and won the Galway Hurdle for him in Dictora in 1970, and Pianissimo in the Phoenix Stakes a year earlier. Tony Martin started his career with Clem and was with him for eight yers.
He retired about 25 years ago, handing over to his son Colin, who is now based at the Hill of Skryne. Colin was an amateur rider who won the 1982 Chamnpion Hurdle in Cheltenham on board For Auction for Michael Cunningham. Clem moved to Sarasota, Florida, where he enjoyed playing golf.
Aged 98, he was still a very active and in good health. He was playing golf recently when he slipped and fractured a hip. He had surgery, which went well. He was recovering and was having lunch with his wife Annette and his niece on Saturday, and went to sleep, passing away peacefully.
Clem Magnier is survived by his wife, Annette and family of eight from his first marriage to Ursula, who predeceased him, daughters Susie, Avril, Jane, Kate and Julie, sons Paul, Colin and Simon, 12 grandchildren, and a large extended family. The funeral takes place in Florida on Thursday, with a memorial service locally at a later date.