Trainer Profile

County of origin: Kildare

Date of licence: 2002

First winner: Be Patient (Johnny Murtagh) Galway, September 11, 2002 

Final winner: War Hero (Niall McCullagh) Dundalk, December 21, 2018

Significant horses (selected): Skitter Scatter, Waterways, Tis Mighty, Coral Wave, Seolan, Sugar Boy, Manalapan, Ceylon, Queen Blossom, Cedars Of Lebanon, Canary Row. 

Did you know:  

Grandson of the legendary trainer, P.J. 'Darkie' Prendergast, and son of Paddy Prendergast and a nephew of Kevin Prendergast, Patrick Prendergast certainly had the pedigree to train. Having served his training apprenticeship with his father, Dermot Weld, Jim Bolger, Jean-Claude Rouget, Prendergast also had a spell in California before working as an assistant to Ed Dunlop and Sir Michael Stoute.

He took out his licence in 2002 and Johnny Murtagh rode Patrick's first winner, Be Patient, at Galway in September of that same year. The likes of Waterways, Tis Mighty, Sugar Boy and Queen Blossom have all provided the Curragh-based trainer with notable success but it was Skitter Scatter that gave him his then biggest success when landing the Group 2 Debutante Stakes in the hands of Ronan Whelan at the Curragh on Sunday, August 26, 2018.  

The following month, Skitter Scatter proved one of the stars of the show when landing the Group 1 Moyglare Stud Stakes at the Curragh on the second day of Longines Irish Champions Weekend at the Curragh. It was a first Group 1 success for Prendergast and winning jockey Ronan Whelan. 

Prendergast relinquished his trainer's licence in early 2019 and went to work with his Curragh neighbour John Oxx. The majority of his horses also moved to the Oxx yard, including Skitter Scatter. In all Prendergast trained 141 winners in Ireland.