Horse trainer known as ‘world’s greatest gentleman’ after Cheltenham Festival heroics dies

CHELTENHAM winning trainer Billy Boyers has died astatine the property of 93.

Edna Bolger hailed Boyers arsenic "the world's top gentleman" successful a touching tribute.

Boyers passed distant peacefully aft a lengthy illness.

He was surrounded by his household and friends astatine his location successful the West of Ireland, including his woman and 3 daughters.

A hugely fashionable fig successful the racing community, Boyers famously trained the Paul Clarke-owned Kilcoleman to triumph astatine Cheltenham.

The horse, ridden by the precocious Tommy Kinnane, galloped to glory successful the County Hurdle connected St Patrick’s Day, 1977.

That proved to beryllium a aureate twelvemonth for Boyers arsenic the pursuing period Ferdy Murphy steered Artistic Prince to occurrence successful the John Jameson Gold Cup.

It took 40 years for different Sligo equine to triumph astatine Cheltenham erstwhile 80/1 Jeff Kidder broke the curse successful March 2021.

Boyers was Sligo’s champion known trainer during the 1970s and ’80s.

He won the Galway Plate successful 1980 aft having trained his drawstring connected the formation astatine his autochthonal Rosses Point.

Boyers was an immensely fashionable fig and mentor including Irish trainer Bolger.

Bolger said: "He was a terribly bully antheral and precise arrogant of Sligo and Sligo racecourse.

"I'm going to miss him ringing maine each Christmas morning, arsenic helium utilized to telephone each azygous twelvemonth without neglect and we'd person a large chat.

"He was the world's top gentleman. He trained each his horses connected the formation – they were ne'er connected writer until they got to a racetrack.

"Billy was conscionable an all-round man who volition beryllium missed greatly by everyone who was fortunate capable to cognize him."

Boyers was inactive attending Sligo contention meetings up until his 93rd birthday.