Easter Hero (1920–1948) was an Irish-bred British-trained racehorse who won the Cheltenham Gold Cup in 1929 and 1930 and made three unsuccessful attempts to win the Grand National.

After Loewenstein's mysterious death Easter Hero was bought by the American John Hay Whitney and in 1929 he won his first Cheltenham Gold Cup by twenty lengths.

[3] He was bred in Curragha, Ashbourne, County Meath, Ireland, by Larry King, a local farmer who named the horse in honour of the Easter Rising.

[6] After running poorly in a race at Baldoyle, Easter Hero was sold by King to JHC Bartholomew, a British owner and trainer who campaigned the young horse extensively but with limited success.

[3] In the 1927/28 National Hunt season Easter Hero emerged as a top-class steeplechaser with a series of impressive wins including the Becher Chase at Aintree and a handicap race at Kempton.

[7] At Aintree Racecourse on 30 March, Easter Hero, carrying 173 pounds, started the 100/7 fourth favourite in a field of forty-two runners for the 1928 Grand National.

[9] His horses were put up for sale and Easter Hero was bought by the American John Hay "Jock" Whitney, in a reported £20,000 deal which also included the Grand Steeplechase de Paris winner Maguelonne.

In the Gold Cup he was ridden by Welsh champion jockey Dick Rees and started the 7/4 favourite in a ten-runner field with his rivals including Koko (winner in 1926 and third in 1928), Grakle (runner-up in 1927) and Brights Boy (third under top weight in the 1927 Grand National).

[3] The Sporting Life commented "Easter Hero, in cantering away with the Cheltenham Gold Cup yesterday, gave one of the most sparkling exhibitions of clean, quick jumping and resolute galloping ever seen on this particular course".

[4] In the Grand National Easter Hero carried top weight of 175 pounds and started the 9/1 favourite in a record field of sixty-six runners.

As in the previous year he led soon after the start and set a strong pace but on this occasion the obstacles gave him no problems and he held a clear advantage from the fourth fence.

Easter Hero and Gib came to the second last together, but the younger horse made a bad mistake, unseated Rees, and allowed the favourite to come home unchallenged.

[20]However, in claiming victory at Cheltenham, Easter Hero sustained a tendon injury and was unable to contest the Grand National later that month, a race for which he had been the ante-post favourite.

[24] He was aimed at the Grand National and was strongly fancied despite a surprise defeat in the Buckhurst Chase at Lingfield Park Racecourse when he failed by a head to concede 23 pounds to Desert Chief.