A look at the highlights in the career or the brilliant Irish trainer responsible for leading Champion Hurdle contender Go Native.
Noel Meade started training horses in 1971 having ridden one winner as an amateur jockey during a brief spell in the saddle. Meade partnered Tu Va, now the name of his County Meath stable, to success in a maiden hurdle at Wexford in the August of that year.
In a career which now spans five decades, Meade has trained a total of almost 1,500 winners across both codes and has established himself as one of the most respected figures in the sport in the process.
Highlights on the Flat, where Meade concentrated his efforts until 1990, included Sweet Mint’s victory in the 1978 Cork and Orrery Stakes at Royal Ascot, La Samanna’s second in the 1979 Irish OneThousand Guineas and Sunshine Street’s brave fourth to defy odds of 150/1 in the 1998 Epsom Derby.
From 1990 onwards Meade turned his attentions predominantly to National Hunt racing and continued to flourish.
Crowned Champion Trainer in Ireland on no less than seven occasions since, he tasted overdue success at the Cheltenham Festival for the first time in 2000 when Sausalito Bay held off the challenge of subsequent three-time Gold Cup winner Best Mate to land the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle.
The 2004/5 season saw Meade’s Harchibald shoot to the top of the two mile hurdling tree with impressive wins in the Morgiana,WBX.COM Fighting Fifth and Christmas Hurdles.
An agonising defeat in the Champion Hurdle followed for his stable star but Meade has since triumphed at the flagship National Hunt meeting with Nicanor (2006 Royal & SunAlliance Hurdle) and Go Native (2009 Supreme Novices’ Hurdle).
Notable big race wins in his homeland include the Irish Grand National (The Bunny Boiler, 2002) and AIG Champion Hurdle (Cockney Lad, 1997) while Meade currently has over 100 horses housed at Tu Va.
Away from the track Noel lists farming, foxhunting and Gaelic Football among his hobbies.
