A name that strikes fear into the hearts of bookmakers, thanks to the number of excellent gambles landed by the yard over the years. Tony Martin is a high-level horse racing trainer from Ireland, and in terms of ‘getting one ready’, he is one of the best in the business.
He’s got an excellent reputation for finding an opportunity to get a win into a horse. This may be at the lowest level, or it could be at the highest, and the plan isn’t guaranteed to be a small one either, it could be a long-term season-long plan, which finally comes good.
A very successful amateur riding career came first for Martin, which is where he began to pick up contacts in the racing industry, and what would ultimately lead him to training. He’s got a dual-purpose license for the yard and does have a select few flat runners during the season, though the main focus of the yard is certainly national hunt racing.
Martin has yet to taste Grand National success, but when you think of the race, you think of horses that have been trained with it in time for months, sometimes years, so a long-term plan is needed. Given Martin’s history, he’s definitely shown the ability to create that, so he’s certainly one that many people will want on their side when looking through the Grand National contenders.
Tony Martin Grand National Wins
Tony Martin has never trained a horse that has won the Grand National.
Their best finish to date was in 2019 with Anibale Fly ridden by Mark Walsh who came 5th.
Full Results
| Year | Horse | Result | Prize Money | Jockey |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Anibale Fly | Fence 3 - Brought Down | - | Luke Dempsey |
| 2021 | Anibale Fly | Fence 13 - Pulled Up | - | Denis O’Regan |
| 2019 | Anibale Fly | 5 | £40,000 | Mark Walsh |
| 2016 | Gallant Oscar | Fence 18 - Unseated Rider | - | Mark Walsh |
| 2008 | Dun Doire | Fence 29 - Pulled Up | - | Richard McGrath |
| 2007 | Dun Doire | Fence 27 - Pulled Up | - | Paul Carberry |
The Ability To Land A Gamble
When you think of Tony Martin, you instantly think about some of the gambles his yard has pulled off over the years. Sometimes these have been in Ireland, other times in the UK, and they’ve covered the top and bottom of racing, too, you don’t really know what the next Martin gamble will be and where it will come.
This always adds an extra layer of fascination to his runners, though sometimes we do see them shorten dramatically in the betting because bookmakers run scared and don’t want to offer anything to punters who are trying to get a part of the gamble.
Of course, the higher quality of the race, the more eyes on things, and the more impressive these gambles look. Could Martin ever orchestrate one in the Grand National? It would certainly be the biggest win of his career if he could.
Famous Horses Trained By Tony Martin
Here are some of the biggest names trained by Tony Martin during his career.
Anibale Fly
Dun Doire