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Eddie Cawley is what you might call a course specialist at Fairyhouse.
Cawley, widely recognised as one of the true gentlemen of the jumps game.
Monday, 24 November 2025
Eddie Cawley is what you might call a course specialist at Fairyhouse. The Batterstown-based trainer has had over twice as many winners at his local track than anywhere else in Ireland and he heads back up the road on Sunday in search of more big-race glory with Ataboycharlie in the 100,000 Bar One Racing Handicap Hurdle.
Cawley has already celebrated 18 Fairyhouse winners in a career that has spanned 23 years and his next most successful venue is Navan where he has seven winners on the board.
"People always ask me that. Do I train my horses for races at Fairyhouse? But I don't, actually. I like to win races anywhere and we've just been lucky at Fairyhouse," said Cawley, widely recognised as one of the true gentlemen of the jumps game.
So, can his hot Fairyhouse streak continue on Sunday with Ataboycharlie?
"I hope it can," he replied. "He's a very good horse, but he's been an unlucky horse, too. He got an injury on the sole of his foot which had to be operated on and that set him back a bit. We fancied him to run a big race at the Dublin Racing Festival two seasons ago but he took a heavy fall two out.
"He's in a good place at the moment and ran well at Galway. He's got plenty of options going forward as he has a handicap mark over hurdles and fences so hopefully there will be plenty of opportunities for him. We're looking forward to Sunday, it's a nice big pot and hopefully he can run a big race."
One of Cawley's biggest days in racing came at Fairyhouse's Winter Festival. That was back in 2016 when Forever Gold stayed on stoutly under Chris Timmons to win the prestigious Porterstown Handicap Chase. He was backed into 5-2 favourite that day and had Irish Grand National winner Thunder And Roses back in second.
Indeed, it looked as though Forever Gold might claim the biggest gold medal in Irish jumps racing two years later when he flew home in the Irish Grand National but just couldn't get to the Gordon Elliott-trained General Principle and was beaten a head and half-a-length into third.
It was a cracking effort in attritional conditions and he would have been in front in another couple of strides.
"My heart was pounding pretty fast coming down to the last that day alright," Cawley admitted. "He ran a huge race and did us proud. He always did us proud every day he ran and was a very consistent horse in those big staying chases."
When asked for his idol growing up, Cawley replied: "Paddy Mullins. He was a genius. He was brilliant at laying one out for a race and pulling it off."
Cawley isn't too bad himself at doing likewise and you could do worse than having a few quid on Ataboycharlie on Sunday. Don't say you weren't told! It is at Fairyhouse, after all, and his record there is quite remarkable.
Cawley has already celebrated 18 Fairyhouse winners in a career that has spanned 23 years and his next most successful venue is Navan where he has seven winners on the board.
"People always ask me that. Do I train my horses for races at Fairyhouse? But I don't, actually. I like to win races anywhere and we've just been lucky at Fairyhouse," said Cawley, widely recognised as one of the true gentlemen of the jumps game.
So, can his hot Fairyhouse streak continue on Sunday with Ataboycharlie?
"I hope it can," he replied. "He's a very good horse, but he's been an unlucky horse, too. He got an injury on the sole of his foot which had to be operated on and that set him back a bit. We fancied him to run a big race at the Dublin Racing Festival two seasons ago but he took a heavy fall two out.
"He's in a good place at the moment and ran well at Galway. He's got plenty of options going forward as he has a handicap mark over hurdles and fences so hopefully there will be plenty of opportunities for him. We're looking forward to Sunday, it's a nice big pot and hopefully he can run a big race."
One of Cawley's biggest days in racing came at Fairyhouse's Winter Festival. That was back in 2016 when Forever Gold stayed on stoutly under Chris Timmons to win the prestigious Porterstown Handicap Chase. He was backed into 5-2 favourite that day and had Irish Grand National winner Thunder And Roses back in second.
Indeed, it looked as though Forever Gold might claim the biggest gold medal in Irish jumps racing two years later when he flew home in the Irish Grand National but just couldn't get to the Gordon Elliott-trained General Principle and was beaten a head and half-a-length into third.
It was a cracking effort in attritional conditions and he would have been in front in another couple of strides.
"My heart was pounding pretty fast coming down to the last that day alright," Cawley admitted. "He ran a huge race and did us proud. He always did us proud every day he ran and was a very consistent horse in those big staying chases."
When asked for his idol growing up, Cawley replied: "Paddy Mullins. He was a genius. He was brilliant at laying one out for a race and pulling it off."
Cawley isn't too bad himself at doing likewise and you could do worse than having a few quid on Ataboycharlie on Sunday. Don't say you weren't told! It is at Fairyhouse, after all, and his record there is quite remarkable.