Moyglare Lynchpin Cosgrove Dies

[Wandering Eyes]

Stan Cosgrove, who passed away on Thursday at the age of 91, was a legend in his own lifetime, a byword for veterinary excellence and a lynchpin in the success of Moyglare Stud.

The seeds for the Moyglare success-story were sown when Walter Haefner bought a dairy farm near Maynooth in Co. Kildare in 1962, set about converting it into a stud and hired Stan Cosgrove as the stud’s vet. Cosgrove was an outstanding vet, a pioneer in both orthopaedic and colic surgery, and he and Haefner soon formed a rock-solid friendship based on mutual respect. Nine years later Cosgrove was appointed as the stud’s manager as well as its vet. Together he and Haefner developed Moyglare Stud into one of the most successful and respected bloodstock operations in the world.

Moyglare-breds soon began winning big races all around the world, many of them in the stud’s livery of ‘black, white sleeves, red cap, black star.’ Dermot Weld’s internationalist outlook perfectly suited the Moyglare philosophy and Moyglare’s success was not restricted to Europe’s big races. History was made in 1990 when Go And Go (GB) (Be My Guest) became the first (and, to date, only) European-trained winner of a U.S. Triple Crown race by taking the G1 Belmont S. under Mick Kinane. Another milestone was achieved the following year when Additional Risk (Ire) (Persian Bold {Ire}) became the first European-trained winner in Hong Kong by taking the Hong Kong Invitational Bowl at Sha Tin. Yet another notable long-haul triumph was registered in 2002 when Weld sent the Moyglare-bred Media Puzzle (Theatrical {Ire}) to Melbourne to become only the second European-trained winner of the G1 Melbourne Cup, although on this occasion the horse was racing for another of Weld’s long-time patrons, Dr Michael Smurfit.

The following year Moyglare Stud enjoyed one of its greatest triumphs when Media Puzzle’s half-brother Refuse To Bend (Ire) (Sadler’s Wells) became a British Classic winner by taking the G1 2000 Guineas at Newmarket under Pat Smullen. The stud subsequently received a substantial offer for Refuse To Bend from Godolphin, in whose royal blue colours the horse won the G1 Coral-Eclipse S. at Sandown the following year. The stud had previously tasted Classic success in Ireland when Dance Design (Ire) (Sadler’s Wells) had landed the G1 Kildangan Stud Irish Oaks at the Curragh in 1996. More recently, the stud’s homebred stars have included Casual Conquest (Ire) (Hernando {Fr}) and Free Eagle (Ire) (High Chaparral {Ire}).

Pat Smullen, who rode many of Moyglare Stud’s best horses over several decades, said on Friday, “Stan, Mr. Cosgrove as I always addressed him, was a great man and very influential in my life and career. He was a pioneer in the veterinary field before I knew him and to speak to him, his knowledge was amazing. As manager of Moyglare Stud, he and Mr. Haefner gave me an opportunity that made my career and until recently his advice and guidance was always welcomed. I will miss him greatly.”

Aside from Media Puzzle’s Melbourne Cup and Refuse To Bend’s Eclipse, great races won by Moyglare-breds racing for other owners have included the 1983 G1 Japan Cup won by Stanerra (Ire) (Guillaume Tell), who earlier in the season had achieved the rare feat of winning two races (the G2 Prince of Wales’s S. on the Wednesday and the G2 Hardwicke S. on the Friday, breaking Grundy’s seemingly unbeatable 12-furlong track record) at the same Royal Ascot; the 1982 G1 Prix du Jockey Club, G1 Irish Derby, G1 Benson & Hedges Gold Cup (now Juddmonte International S.) and G1 Joe McGrath Champion S. (now Irish Champion S.) won by Assert (Ire) (Be My Guest); and the 1981 G1 Prix du Jockey Club and 1982 Prix Ganay won by Assert’s half-brother Bikala (Ire) (Kalamoun {GB}).

Cosgrove remained Moyglare Stud’s manager throughout Walter Haefner’s life and has continued even into his 90s to play a crucial advisory role at the stud, now owned by Walter Haefner’s daughter Eva-Maria Bucher-Haefner.

Fiona Craig, who worked with Cosgrove at Moyglare Stud for 25 years, said, “My abiding memory of Stan is cigar smoke and a lot of laughter. He was a brilliant vet across the board and a fabulous man. He was ahead of his time, in that legion of vets who write the rules that everyone else is now learning from. He was a great storyteller and he had a lovely way with the staff. Above all, Stan’s great gift was that he knew what a good horse was.”

In addition to his work for Moyglare, Cosgrove served on the board of Goffs, representing the Haefner family, for over 40 years before standing down only two years ago. He was a co-founder of the Racing Academy and Centre for Education, a founding member of the Irish Thoroughbred Breeders’ Association and a Steward of the Turf Club.

Stan Cosgrove’s funeral will be held at St Peter and Paul’s Church in Monasterevin at 11 a.m. on Monday.

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