Peter O'Dowd leads the tributes following the passing of John Quinn

John Quinn has passed away

John Quinn, owner of legendary 1983 English Derby champion I’m Slippy and later a trainer for many years at Wembley, Hackney, Central Park (then Sittingbourne) and Romford, died on Wednesday. He was 87 and died at home in Dungiven, Co. Derry.

Peter O’Dowd, the former Romford racing manager, led the tributes.

He said: “John joined Romford in 1997 having come highly recommended by Peter Shotton. He trained from kennels in Ashford, Kent, later - and still - Liz and Rab McNair’s base. He retired in 2003 to return to Northern Ireland. 

“John was a very professional trainer whose wife and sons helped him run the family business. He was a quietly spoken, articulate man, whose opinions were always worth listening to. 

“I’m sad to hear of his passing.”

Best known as owner of the Barbara Tompkins-trained Im Slippy, the penultimate English Derby winner during the famous race’s White City years, John Quinn took out a trainer’s licence himself - and proved a more than successful handler.

He trained Murlens Slippy, a son of I’m Slippy, to reach the finals of the 1986 English and Irish Derbys, and later Touchwood Gent, winner of the Coral Champion Stakes at Romford in 1999.

John’s funeral and Requiem Mass will be at 2pm on Friday at St Patrick’s Church, Dungiven.