About Henry
Born in Waterford in 1972 , Henry sealed a unique place in National Hunt racing history by becoming the first trainer to saddle the winner of the Champion Hurdle, the Champion Chase and the Gold Cup in the same year at the 2021 Cheltenham Festival.
Although learning his craft at home with father Harry - who won the 1993 Pertemps Final at the Cheltenham Festival with Fissure Seal - he also spent time with Robert and Sally Alner, Sir Mark Prescott and Coolmore Stud.
After abandoning his original career choice in accountancy, he took over the training licence from his father Harry in 1999. Although scoring with his first runner at his local Tramore track - Fidalus romping home at 10/1 on New Year's Day 2000 - it was a case of life in the slow lane for the young trainer until the arrival of Sizing Europe, owned by Ann and Alan Potts. It saw a dramatic upturn in the yard's fortunes, with Sizing Europe's breakthrough Grade One win in the Irish Champion Hurdle in 2008 the first of eight races at the highest level. In all he won 22 of his 45 races and earned prize-money of almost €2m but probably more importantly he delivered a first Cheltenham Festival success in the Arkle Chase in 2010. He won the Queen Mother Champion Chase at the Festival the following season, the same year Sizing Australia bolted up in the Glenfarclas Cross Country Chase at the same meeting.
A remarkable 2016-2017 season confirmed him as a rising star when he sent out 75 individual winners - five at Grade One level - including stable favourite Special Tiara who enjoyed the finest hour of his career - tragically cut short in 2019 at Leopardstown - by claiming the 2017 Queen Mother Champion Chase at the fourth attempt. It was the seventh of his seven wins, three of them in Britain at Grade One level (2015 Celebration Chase and 2013 Maghull Novices' Chase). That same year he enjoyed another milestone with Balko Des Flos in the Galway Plate, and landed a second Irish Champion Hurdle with Petit Mouchir, both owned by Gigginstown Stud.
Born in Waterford in 1972 , Henry sealed a unique place in National Hunt racing history by becoming the first trainer to saddle the winner of the Champion Hurdle, the Champion Chase and the Gold Cup in the same year at the 2021 Cheltenham Festival.
Although learning his craft at home with father Harry - who won the 1993 Pertemps Final at the Cheltenham Festival with Fissure Seal - he also spent time with Robert and Sally Alner, Sir Mark Prescott and Coolmore Stud.
After abandoning his original career choice in accountancy, he took over the training licence from his father Harry in 1999. Although scoring with his first runner at his local Tramore track - Fidalus romping home at 10/1 on New Year's Day 2000 - it was a case of life in the slow lane for the young trainer until the arrival of Sizing Europe, owned by Ann and Alan Potts. It saw a dramatic upturn in the yard's fortunes, with Sizing Europe's breakthrough Grade One win in the Irish Champion Hurdle in 2008 the first of eight races at the highest level. In all he won 22 of his 45 races and earned prize-money of almost €2m but probably more importantly he delivered a first Cheltenham Festival success in the Arkle Chase in 2010. He won the Queen Mother Champion Chase at the Festival the following season, the same year Sizing Australia bolted up in the Glenfarclas Cross Country Chase at the same meeting.
A remarkable 2016-2017 season confirmed him as a rising star when he sent out 75 individual winners - five at Grade One level - including stable favourite Special Tiara who enjoyed the finest hour of his career - tragically cut short in 2019 at Leopardstown - by claiming the 2017 Queen Mother Champion Chase at the fourth attempt. It was the seventh of his seven wins, three of them in Britain at Grade One level (2015 Celebration Chase and 2013 Maghull Novices' Chase). That same year he enjoyed another milestone with Balko Des Flos in the Galway Plate, and landed a second Irish Champion Hurdle with Petit Mouchir, both owned by Gigginstown Stud.
Harry and Henry at Tramore Races
Harry and Henry at Cheltenham Festival
It was not long before Blackmore was back in the world headlines, riding the stable's Minella Times to an historic victory in the 2021 Aintree Grand National, becoming the first female jockey to win racing's greatest steeplechase in its 173rd year. The jockey was flawless as she powered up the famous hill on A Plus Tard to deliver another one-two for the trainer in the 2022 Gold Cup, this time to the deafening roar of 70,000 racegoers. Her victory on Honeysuckle three days earlier to retain the Champion Hurdle crown was a 15th career success as she became the first mare to win the Champion Hurdle twice. Bob Ollinger rounded off another remarkable Festival for the all-conquering partnership with a third success for the yard in the Golden Miller Novices' Chase.
Honeysuckle won four consecutive times at the mecca of National Hunt racing, bringing the curtain down on a truly remarkable career with an emotionally-charged win the 2023 Mares' Hurdle. Six months earlier, the trainer's 13-year-old son Jack had suffered fatal injuries in a pony racing accident in Co Kerry. The post-race scenes in the winner's enclosure will likely never be seen again.
Honeysuckle bowed out with 17 career wins from 19 hurdle starts, including three Irish Champion Hurdles, two Punchestown Champion Hurdles and three Hatton's Grace Hurdles. Envoi Allen added to his wins in the 2019 Champion Bumper and 2020 Ballymore Hurdle - when trained by Gordon Elliott - with victory in the Ryanair Chase, and Maskada made it another hat-trick of Festival victories in the Grand Annual Chase. Secured a fourth Champion Chase win with Captain Guinness in 2024, adding to the impressive success of Slade Steel in the Supreme Novices' Hurdle. Bob Olinger's win in the 2025 Stayers' Hurdle saw him complete a clean sweep of all four Championship races.
He has successfully dipped his toe in Flat racing with Magical Zoe, who finished fourth in the County Hurdle at Cheltenham in March, landing a massive gamble in the 2024 Ebor Handicap at York and Term Of Endearment, winner of the Group Two Lillie Langtry Stakes at Goodwood (2024) as well as two Group Three races at Cork (2023 Give Thanks Stakes) and York (2024 Bronte Cup Stakes).
Although learning his craft at home with father Harry - who won the 1993 Pertemps Final at the Cheltenham Festival with Fissure Seal - he also spent time with Robert and Sally Alner, Sir Mark Prescott and Coolmore Stud. The Jack de Bromhead Equine Centre, a new indoor equine therapeutic centre located at the ChildVision campus in Drumcondra, Dublin and funded by the De Bromhead family and friends, was opened in 2025 as a fitting memory to the trainer's son.
Thank you to John Kelly, ex journalist Irish Times for this article www.irishracinglegends.com
The de Bromhead family at Tramore Racecourse to receive Freedom of the City!
The de Bromhead family and Rachael after The Holy Trinity success
