Leading point-to-point trainer William Codd passed away on Wednesday evening at the age of 43.
Codd had enjoyed particular success, both as a jockey and trainer, landing the eastern title in 2002 in one of his most successful seasons in the saddle in a riding career which began at the age of 16 and saw him win 58 races in total between 1992 and 2005.
That first success, which had come aboard his families, Sore Toes, at Banntown in 1992, saw him led back into the winner’s enclosure by his then 11-year-old younger brother Jamie.
In the early days of his riding career, Willie had combined his outings between the flags, with a love of eventing, and won the Blarney International in that sphere as an 18-year-old.
One of his biggest days as a jockey, was when he partnered the Tucker Geraghty-trained seven-year-old, What Odds, to run out a 10-length winner of the Champion Hunter Chase at the 2003 Punchestown Festival, in the process beating his younger brother Jamie, who was forced to settle for second aboard Sheltering.
Fittingly, his final point-to-point success as a jockey was recorded aboard Tenshookmen around the banks course at his local Lingstown track, a fixture Codd and his family have been so closely associated with for many years. Codd, himself, was one of the Clerks of the Course at their point-to-point and was heavily involved in the course preparations each year.
Tenshookmen is a horse that Codd had great success with during his riding career, partnering the Cardinal Power gelding in 29 of his 39 competitive starts, including memorable back-to-back successes on the track as a seven-pound claiming amateur jockey in September and October 2001 and again in October and November 2002, whilst also taking him to Cheltenham.
As a trainer, Codd was responsible for producing so many promising youngsters through the point-to-point fields, none more exciting than Tranquil Sea.
The Sea Raven gelding, who had been bought by Codd for just €10,000 as a store, carried the colours of his good friend, Billy Devereux, to win his four-year-old maiden at Bennetsbridge in 2006 at the first time of asking, before joining Edward O’Grady.
Tranquil Sea went on to win a total of 13 races under rules and over half-a-million euros in prize money, including the Grade 1 John Durkan Memorial Chase at Punchestown.
That early success, set the tone for his training career, as he would go on to produce a number of sales-toppers with his four-year-old maiden winners.
In 2013, Tell Us More proved to be a big success for the Codd brothers, as with younger brother Jamie in the saddle, the Scorpion gelding overcame getting badly hampered at the second-last at Tattersalls, to recover and win by three lengths. At the December sales, William sold Tell Us More to Harold Kirk for a sale-topping sum of £290,000.
Four months later, Codd consigned his second top lot in the Cheltenham sales ring, when Alisier D’Irlande was sold to Roger Brookhouse for £300,000. The Kapgarde gelding had carried William’s own colours to success at the first time of asking in a four-year-old maiden at Templemore, with brother Jamie once again doing the steering.
The brothers teamed-up once again two years later to win a four-year-old maiden at Broughshane with what would prove to be yet another top lot at the Cheltenham April sales. Born Survivor, who scored by two and-a-half lengths was sold for £220,000 to Richard Kelvin-Hughes.
Stellar Notion and Mullaghanoe River, are just some of the other leading horses which Codd was responsible for producting through the point-to-point fields.
Codd saddled his final point-to-point winner, just under a month ago, when Bold Sky ran out a wide-margin winner of a mares’ maiden at Tinahely on her first outing for Codd’s Churchlands Stables.
Fittingly, she carried the colours of his good friend Billy Devereux, the same yellow and purple quartered silks, that Tranquil Sea, the horse who had propelled Codd’s training career 12 years earlier.
Funeral details
Churchlands, Mayglass, Co. Wexford. Dear father of Jack and Aria. Beloved son of Billy and Mary Frances, brother of Lisa, Jamie and Zoe, brother-in-law of Redmond and Robyn. Sadly missed by his son, daughter, parents, brother, sisters, brother-in-law, sister-in-law, Louise, Jean, aunts, uncles, cousins, and a wide circle of friends.
Reposing at his parents residence on Friday from 12 noon with removal on Saturday morning to St. Fintan's Church, Mayglass for Funeral Mass at 12 noon. Burial afterwards in Mayglass Cemetery. (House private on Saturday morning please). Family flowers only. Donations, if desired, to ASK and the Irish Jockey's Fund.
