By Brian Sheerin
John Oxx has led the tributes to John Clarke, the former chief executive of the Irish National Stud and advisor to Mrs Tsui, who died on Thursday following a long illness.
Clarke died peacefully in Blackrock Hospice in Dublin and, according to Oxx, will be remembered for leaving a “considerable mark” on the Irish National Stud's history.
Oxx said, “I knew John well. He was the chief executive of the Irish National Stud for a long number of years. He enjoyed a long stint there, during which time the stud had Ahonoora before he was sold to Coolmore.
“Then Invincible Spirit and Indian Ridge came along and they were great stallions for the stud. They are three outstanding stallions who were there for his tenure and he left a considerable mark on the stud's history.”
He added, “In John's latter years, he was looking after Mrs Tsui's interests and Sea The Stars's stud career along with Pat Downes of Giltown Stud. He's been associated with some of the biggest equine names in the Irish bloodstock industry. Sea The Stars of course was foaled and reared at the Irish National Stud before he came into training with me and Urban Sea used to board there and is buried on the grounds of the stud. John had quite a history of great horses under his wing over a long number of years.”
Clarke's funeral mass takes place on Wednesday, June 7, at 10am in the Church of the Assumption, Dalkey.
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