Dreaper, Thomas (‘Tom’) William (1898–1975), racehorse trainer, was born 28 September 1898 in Donaghmore, Ashbourne, Co. Meath, the second son of James Dreaper, farmer, and Harriet Dreaper (née McKeever). He was educated at St Andrew's College, Dublin. In 1930 he moved to Greenogue, Kilsallaghan, Co. Dublin, to work as a livestock farmer; as a leading amateur jockey and a keen huntsman he gradually became involved in training horses. He started training in 1931, but he did not come to prominence until August 1938, when he became J. V. Rank's trainer after the death in a car accident of Rank's former trainer, Bobby Power.
Rank had a fine string of horses, including Prince Regent, who brought Dreaper his first major successes, winning the Irish Grand National in 1942 and the Cheltenham Gold Cup in 1946. Prince Regent was a great horse, whose career was somewhat inhibited by wartime restrictions. Despite a lack of formal training stables and proper gallops, Dreaper had many further successes, including the Irish Grand National with Shagreen in 1949 and again with Royal Approach in 1954. In 1965, following the sale of 300 acres, Rank's stables were developed and the success continued, most notably with the famous Arkle. Dreaper is best remembered as the trainer of Arkle, who won the Cheltenham Gold Cup three times in a row (1964–6), the Irish Grand National, the Hennessey Gold Cup twice, the Whitbread Gold Cup, and the Leopardstown Chase; out of twenty-eight starts he was beaten on only four occasions before he was injured on 28 December 1966 during the King George VI Chase at Kempton. Dreaper added seven more Irish Grand National winners in a row from 1960, to the three he had already won, and in 1968 Fort Leney won him his fifth Cheltenham Gold Cup. He had more Cheltenham festival winners than any other Irish trainer, and Greenogue was the leading Irish jumping stable from 1950. The only major race that eluded him was the Aintree Grand National. His achievements as a trainer are a testament to his skills as a consummate horseman, who did much to enhance the reputation of Irish horses internationally. He was a member of the Irish Trainers Association, the Irish Bloodstock Breeders Association, and the RDS.
In 1945 he married Betty Russell. They had two daughters, and a son, Jim, who succeeded his father in 1971 and became a successful trainer in his own right. Dreaper died 28 April 1975 in Greenogue.