ASSOCIATION OF IRISH RACEHORSE OWNERS
RACING
CERTAINTY RACINGCERTAINTY MAGAZINE OF THE ASSOCIATION OF IRISH RACEHORSE OWNERS
Warrior Women ACT D WAGG ON SYNDICATE SUCCESS
CHELTENHAM Donn McClean talks victories and vanquished dreams with Cheltenham regulars
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AIRO AWARDS A review of the very successful 2016 AIRO Awards night
MIND & BODY Dr Adrian McGoldrick on the physical and mental challenges of racing
JUMPING THE FENCE Joseph O’Brien on making the transition from jockey to trainer
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| WELCOME |
| MAGAZINE 2017 |
I
t gives me great pleasure to welcome all of our members to our annual magazine, Racing Certainty. Owning a racehorse can be a most exhilarating experience and there is nothing sweeter than having a winner. Even more so if you are lucky enough to be there to lead your winner in. Although at times, owning a racehorse can also be frustrating and a test of patience. The Association of Irish Racehorse Owners (AIRO) currently has almost 2,030 members and we are here to represent owners. We constantly strive to ensure a memorable race day experience for our owners around all the racecourses in Ireland by constantly monitoring the hospitality provided for them at each venue. I am also delighted to announce that for 2017 we have secured an agreement with the racecourses to provide 118 free entry race days for owners who have a racehorse returned in training. Details of these are published elsewhere in the magazine. Our Council members are very energetic, committed, diligent, hard working and pro-active. AIRO membership currently includes public liability insurance that protects all of our members in the unfortunate event of any third party claims. In 2017 we again will host our hospitality marquees for members at the Punchestown and Galway Festival meetings, the Curragh, Pretty Polly Stakes day and the Futurity Stakes day. In addition to this we are planning to have two hospitality days at the Listowel Harvest Festival meeting and at the Down Royal Derby meeting. Our annual Awards Dinner, which took place again in the Killashee House Hotel, Naas in October was a resounding success well supported by both our award winners and members. We will continue to lobby Government who recognise that our industry contributes over 20,000 jobs to our rural economy and the many overseas and non-national investors who contribute half a billion euro annually to our economy also. We also continue to campaign diligently to persuade Brian Polly our Government to collect the levy on online betting Chairman The Association of Irish Racehorse Owners (AIRO) which can only but improve the income stream into horse racing. The island of Ireland is a world leader in the industry of horse racing with the achievements of our horses who race all-over the world and our trainers whose professionalism and dedication is continuing to be rewarded in all corners of the globe with our jockeys being sought after in America, Dubai, India and Australia. Our horsemen and stable staff are all extremely skilled and valued members of the industry entrusted with the day-to-day care of our very valuable horses. Both myself and the Council members look forward to welcoming our members to our various events throughout the year and remember there is nothing more exciting than having a winner! I do hope that you enjoy our magazine and thank you for your continued support.
Brian Polly Chairman
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CONTENTS 05 NEWS BITES
20 WARRIOR
AIRO updates and industry news
08 PILGRIMS PROGRESS
Donn McClean hears tales of the annual pilgrimage to Cheltenham from two intrepid travellers
13
WOMEN
INTO THE WEST
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On Connemara’s ponypeppered coast, the McNamara family hatched a plan with an occasional neighbour to bring hotter blood west
From a plan hatched in the car park of Royal Ascot to leading their horse into its winners enclosure in under two years, it’s been an awfully big adventure for four women and their Clondaw Warrior. The adventure continues...
19 FORMING A SYNDICATE
Syndicates are a great way to access racehorse ownership, sharing the excitement and expense with a group of friends
27 TREATING MIND AND BODY
Dr Adrian McGoldrick discusses the physical and mental challenges faced by jockeys
30 SUPREME LEVELLER Jim Balfry and Steve Massey’s Supreme Racing Club manifesto was to create an equitable and successful syndicate, Lissa Oliver reports.
65
35 STABLE RIGHTS
Bernard Caldwell, Chairman of the Irish Stable Staff Association (ISSA) talks to Tiernan Cannon about their recent pay deal
36 EQUINE EMPIRE
30
John O’Connor talks to Jessica Lamb about Ballylinch Stud’s impressive stallion roster and its unique appeal for owners of world-class horses
62
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58 PROGRESSIVE DIPLOMACY
David Mongey on a meeting with former Taoiseach Liam Cosgrove that led to a history lesson
60 ON THE GRAPEVINE
Wine connoisseur James Nicholson’s tips on wines to buy and wines to try
62 FINE LINES
Mary Connaughton views a new generation of artists who are captivated by horses
65 A LOOK FOR ALL SEASONS
Follow our style guide to be perfectly attired for all racing occasions
70 43 COURSES & FIXTURES
Get the inside track on racing and relaxing at Dundalk, Balinrobe, Sligo, Down Royal, Gowran Park and Tramore
47 A SECOND RIDE OF LIFE
Many retired racehorses are going on to have successful second careers eventing as Orla Connolly found out
51 WIND OF FORTUNE
Veterinary specialist, Claire Hawkes discusses treatment options and likely outcomes for equine wind problems
55 BEHIND THE STARTING GATE Jockey valet Paul Fox gives us a glimpse into the organised chaos of the weigh-room in full flow
FIXTURES
60
A guide to racing fixtures 2017 and benefits for AIRO members
73 AIRO MEMBER BENEFITS
Meet the AIRO team and get an overview of member benefits
80 AIRO MEMBERS AT GALWAY
Social gallery of AIRO hospitality on a glorious day at the Galway races
82
Published by: Ashville Media Group, Old Stone Building, Blackhall Green, Dublin 7 Tel: +353 1 432 2200 Email: info@ashville.com Web: www.ashville.com On behalf of: Association of Irish Racehorse Owners, Greenhills, Kill, Co Kildare Tel: +353 (0)45 878 173 Fax: +353 (0)45 878 174 Email: info@irishracehorseowners.com Web: www.irishracehorseowners.com
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EDITOR: Mary Connaughton ART DIRECTOR: Alan McArthur EDITORIAL CONTRIBUTORS: David Mongey, Donn McClean, James Nicholson, Jessica Lamb, Lissa Oliver, Orla Connolly, Tiernan Cannon EDITORIAL ASSISTANT: Ellen Flynn FRONT COVER PHOTOGRAPHY: Jason Clarke PHOTOGRAPHY: Pat Healy Jane Matthews Thinkstock Racing Post ES Photography Sportsfile RTE Stills Archive Alamy PRODUCTION MANAGER: Mary Connaughton PRODUCTION EXECUTIVE: Nicole Ennis SALES DIRECTOR: Paul Clemenson MANAGING DIRECTOR: Gerry Tynan CHAIRMAN: Diarmaid Lennon
All articles © Ashville Media Group 2017. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means without written permission from the publisher. Opinion and comments expressed herein are not necessarily those of Ashville Media or the Association of Irish Racehorse Owners.
AIRO AWARDS 2016
Review and social pictures from the 2016 AIRO awards night
88 JUMPING THE FENCE
Two-time champion jockey Joseph O’Brien jumps the fence into training and he still has his sights firmly fixed on the winning post
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Racehorse Ownership HRI WORKING WITH THE INDUSTRY TO PUT OWNERS TO THE FORE PRIZE-MONEY INCREASED, COSTS REDUCED €100 MILLION RACECOURSE CAPITAL DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME
Contact Aidan McGarry, Owner Relations Manager, on amcgarry@hri.ie or +353 (0)45 455455.
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| NEWS |
IRISH RAIDERS In 2016 Irish trained horses landed £15.3
million in
of 40.3% on 2015 winnings. They also bagged
€10.7 million in
prize money in the rest of the world more than doubling the 2015 haul.
Riders compete in the famous horse race ‘Palio di Siena’, Siena, Italy
STREETS OF LONDON
Anyone who has ever witnessed the Palio horse race in Sienna will vividly recall the thunderous clatter of horsehoves on cobbles as they gallop around the ancient square. Well now the city of London is considering bringing horseracing to the streets. Two firms are competing to stage a global series of horseraces in world capitals. City Racing, represented by Johnno Spence, has already held talks with the BHA and are aiming to stage the event in September this year. Spence’s operation is working with an industry based consortium to run under the rules of racing.The other company, run by Olly Neill, if successful, plans to hold the vent in 2018. Their idea is to attract a younger, urban audience to a spectacle of horses riden by top jockeys thundering down the iconic streets of international capitals. The BHA have indicated that while they are aware of plans and have had some discussions the model has not reached the point of approval. They are however open to the idea according to their spokesperson, Robin Mounsey,”I can see what an attractive proposition this could be if done properly and racing should be open to such entrepreneurial initiatives.”
ews N BITES
| AIRO AWARDS 2016 |
AWARDS UPDATE
The venue and date for the 2017 AIRO awards night and gala dinner will be announced shortly. Keep an eye on our website for updates. We look forward to seeing you all there. To reserve tickets please contact: info@irishracehorseowners.com
| MAGAZINE 2017 |
A new trophy was designed last year for presentation at the 2016 AIRO Awards. The trophy is a cast of a horse’s head with a hand resting on its neck to convey the connection between owner and horse. The design was based on an idea by former Council Member, Ethel Flanagan.
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| MAGAZINE 2017 |
TROPHY TRIUMPH
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prize money in the UK which is a healthy increase
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For a look back at the AIRO awards night 2016 turn to page 82
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2016 IN NUMBERS
Horses in training up
4.2% to 8,561
Active owners up
1.5% to 3,663
Flat runners up
10.7% to 12,801
PRIZE FUND INCREASE Horse racing prize money will rise by €3.7 million in 2017 to a record high of €60.5 million. The increases will be targeted at the race types where the largest section of the horse population and the majority of owners compete. The minimum value of a race will increase from €9,000 to €10,000. Every scheduled race day will feature one race of at least €15,000 value and seventy five per cent of courses will feature a race valued at €20,000 or more in every meeting. In addition to the prize fund increases, there will be a welcome reduction from 1% to .9% in the cost of entry in races valued at €20,000 or less.
VOICING OWNERS’ INTERESTS
T
he Association of Irish Racehorse Owners (AIRO) has its office in the ITBA building beside Goffs
Bloodstock in Kill Co Kildare. The Association has a Council of twelve people and the day to day operations are carried out by Manager, Aiden Burns, who will assist members in any way he can with their ownership queries. AIRO continues to campaign on behalf of owners with Horse Racing Ireland, Government Departments
Aiden Burnes Associaton Manager The Association of Irish Racehorse Owners (AIRO)
and the Association of Irish Racecourses to ensure prize money
73
Benefits of Membership
74
Members Public Liability Insurance Scheme
is kept up to minimum levels, costs are reduced and that the race-day experience of owners continues to improve.
Prize money for 2017 will see an increase again with a minimum race prize fund of €10000 and total prize money at a record level of €60.5 million. The cost to owners for entering their horse in a race with a value of €20,000 or less, will be reduced. Our sincere thanks is expressed to Government for its continued support of the industry. Racecourses have also improved their offering to racehorse owners and we look forward to further enhancements in this area.
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75 Hospitality Exchange Programme
It is pleasing to record that we have been successful in obtaining 118 free race days in 2017 for owners who have a horse returned in training. We very much welcome this and express our thanks to the racecourses. In addition to campaigning for enhanced facilities for owners generally, AIRO seeks to provide benefits exclusive to its members. In this regard we have a public liability insurance scheme, race-day hospitality at Punchestown and Galway race festivals and two other days at The Curragh. Members can also avail of the UK Owners Marquee at Cheltenham Festival and French Owners Association facility at Deauville in August. Details of the various hospitality arrangements can be read on the following pages. Membership of AIRO automatically gives these benefits. The Annual General Meeting of the Association will be held in late March and notice of this will be sent to all members.
76
Guide to Horse Racing Ireland charges and deductions in relation to racehorse ownership - 2016
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FREE ENTRY
AIRO are delighted to have secured 118 free entry race days in 2017 for racehorse owners. Make sure you enjoy this great benefit by checking out the full details on page 70 of this magazine and on AIRO website irishracehorseowners.com.
AIRO Member Benefits page 73
NH runners up
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4.1% to 16,130
Total attendances up
3.3% to 1.32 million
DOWN TO LISTOWEL
In addition to the member hospitality days arranged for Punchestown, Galway and the Curragh, plans are afoot to organise a day for Northern members at Down Royal in June and Southern members at Listowel in September. Details will be sent to members in due course.
Bloodstock sales at public auction up
7.7%
RACE & STAY DUNDALK
to €164.2 million
Race fixtures up
1.7% to 357
Total on-course betting (Bookmakers & Tote) down
4.9% to €88.6 million
AIRO Chairman, Brian Polly, Manager, Aiden Burns and Council Member, Caren Walsh present a cheque value €3,282.00, the proceeds from a raffle held at the AIRO Awards Dinner in October, to Ruby Walsh and Barry Geraghty on behalf of the Irish Injured Jockeys Fund.
The Crowne Plaza Dundalk have launched a Race & Stay package in association with Dundalk Stadium. The package includes overnight accommodation with full Irish breakfast in their stunning rooftop restaurant, admission to Dundalk racecourse including transfer to and from the racecourse and a race programme. If you choose to stay two nights the package is €155 per person sharing and can enjoy a leisurely breakfast both morning and relaxing dinner on the Saturday night. For further information visit www.cpdundalk.ie
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| CHELTENHAM FESTIVAL |
ilgrims
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ON THE BRINK OF THE SPRING EQUINOX A MYSTERIOUS FORCE DRAWS HOARDS OF DEVOTED PILGRIMS TO AN ANCIENT SITE ON THE EDGE OF THE COTSWOLDS. AFTER FOUR DAYS IN A SHAMANIC LIKE TRANCE THEY JOURNEY HOME WITH THEIR EPIC TALES OF THE VICTORIOUS AND THE VANQUISHED. WELCOME TO THE CHELTENHAM FESTIVAL, DONN MCCLEAN WRITES.
O
h there are stories all right. It’s Cheltenham, it’s the Cheltenham Festival. It’s laced with stories. Inevitably, given that Aidan Walsh is Irish and all, and given that it is Cheltenham and all, some of them involve the consumption of alcohol by him and/or his peers. And equally inevitably, for similar reasons, some of them are not wholly printable. But some of them are printable. Like the one about the jockey who was with the group, who was stopped by the police one night during the Festival after he had knocked down a traffic cone. When stopped and asked for his name and address, the jockey replied, unflinchingly, John Manderville, The Square, Mitchelstown, County Cork. He wasn’t John Manderville, and he wasn’t from The Square in Mitchelstown.
The following day however, the jockey who had masqueraded as John Manderville the previous evening went out and rode the winner of the opening race at the Cheltenham Festival. “We had unbelievable fun,” says Aidan Walsh. “It has always been the same core group of lads, myself and Charlie McCreevy and Paddy Prendergast and Michael Lenehan and Ger Connolly and others. There was and is a serious element to it of course, the betting is serious, but it has always been about the fun.” Aidan Walsh reckons that he was going racing since before he could walk. Punchestown, Naas, The Curragh, the Phoenix Park. He and his family were always into horses and greyhounds. His company Texacloth’s sponsorship of the Texacloth Puppy Derby at Newbridge is the longest-running sponsorship in Irish greyhound racing. And always into GAA. Aidan and all his family played football at a high level, his grandfather played for Kildare in the early 1900s. A typical Kildare family, he tells you.
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“I used to ride out with Pat Taaffe,” he says. “Pat Taaffe was a gentleman. And the first horse that I owned was trained by Pat Taaffe. Fleetwood. Ted Walsh rode him on his racecourse debut in a bumper at Downpatrick.” And once he was into horses, Cheltenham was high on his radar. “I went to Cheltenham for the first time in 1972,” he recalls. “That was the year that Glencarrig Lady won the Gold Cup. We laugh about it now, you couldn’t do it now, but 10 of us used to get in on the same badge. I had a Curragh trainer’s badge. They don’t exist any more, and of course you couldn’t do it now anyway, but I just used to go and show them the badge at the gate and they’d say, in you go sir. I’m sure they didn’t know what it was, but it was an impressive-looking badge!” They stayed in a little place behind The Queens in Cheltenham town in the early days, in the centre, at the heart of the action. Then, when they began to get few quid together, they started to stay in The Queens. And when they got a little more sensible, they moved out to Stow in the Wold. Although maybe they weren’t getting more sensible: the craic seemed to follow them out there. There was the story about going back through Wales in the fog, driving from Cheltenham through the hills and valleys of Wales and looking for Holyhead. No mobile phones, no iMaps, no sat-navs and no visibility. “It was a miracle that we ever found Holyhead.” Of course, the dream has always been to own a winner at the Cheltenham Festival. It’s not easy to have a horse who is good enough to even run at Chetlenham, so to have a winner would be unbelievable. Chorelli could have been a Cheltenham Festival winner. Chorelli was one of the best horses that Michael O’Brien ever trained. Winner of the Durkan Chase at Punchestown in 1982, he was being primed by O’Brien for a tilt at the 1983 Cheltenham Gold Cup. His prep race was in the PZ Mower Chase at Thurles, three weeks before Cheltenham.
it. Michael said that Chorelli was a better horse than Bright Highway, and Bright Highway won a Mackeson Gold Cup and a Hennessy. And if we wouldn’t have won it, we would surely have definitely gone close, we would definitely have finished in the first five.” There was also the Forgive ‘N Forget story. Aidan had a couple of horses with Jimmy Fitzgerald in the 1980s, and he used to meet him on the first day of the Cheltenham Festival every year outside the weigh room to settle his account. It was raining on the first day of the 1983 Festival, so they decided to go to the bar. Once there, it was difficult to leave. “Forgive ‘N Forget was going in the Coral Golden Hurdle Final the following day,” says Aidan, “and Jimmy kept saying: ‘You can back this horse until God calls you!’ So I did. And of course, you’d have a few more scoops and you’d get a bit more courage. I ended up having a lot more on him than I should have had.” There were 23 runners in the Coral Golden Card Final that year, but punters only had eyes and cash for one of them, as Forgive ‘N Forget was backed down to 5/2 favourite. The bigger the field, the bigger the certainty. Jimmy Ftizgerald’s horse was 22nd of the 23 runners
“That was a bizarre race,” recalls Walsh. “It was unbelievable, terrible really. He was a 2/5 shot to win the race, it was just a case of getting around and leaving him spot on for the Gold Cup. It was only a four-horse race, Michael had another horse in it to set the pace, and Ivan King was in it. Anyway, we ended up taking the wrong course.” But the heartache didn’t end there. “At the turn past the stands, Chorelli went onto the hurdles track instead of the chase track. So Gerry Newman pulled him up, took him back, went back onto the chase course, and he was still able to catch them up by the time they got to the second last fence. He went into the lead at that point and was going to go on and win, but he jumped the road that runs across the track, and he broke his leg. That was a terribly sad day.” That was 1983, the year that Michael Dickinson had his famous 1-2-3-4-5 in the Gold Cup. “I’m sure we would have gone close to winning the Gold Cup that year,” says Walsh. “We had him backed at 50/1 for
jumping the first flight, second last in a massive field, but, in truth, the punters never had a sweat. Mark Dwyer allowed him to creep his way through his field, moved into third place as they reached the top of the hill, jumped into second place behind Brunton Park over the third last, joined the leader on the run to the last, jumped to the front over it and came clear up the hill. “Jimmy also told me that I should have a few quid on Canny Danny each-way in the Sun Alliance Chase on the same day, so I backed him too, at 33/1, and he won. That was some day.” For trainer Henry de Bromhead, there have been many memorable days at Cheltenham. His family and the Hill family were close, so he shared in the Dawn Run days, the 1984 Champion Hurdle and, of course, the 1986 Gold Cup, when the mare began to get up. But the 1993 Festival was even better, when his dad Harry sent Fissure Seal to Cheltenham to win the Gold Card Final, the modern-day Pertemps.
“
We laugh about it now, you couldn’t do it now, but 10 of us used to get in on the same badge. I had a Curragh trainer’s badge. They don’t exist any more, and of course you couldn’t do it now anyway, but I just used to go and show them the badge at the gate and they’d say, in you go sir.”
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“I went over with the horse in the lorry,” recalls Henry. “I wasn’t working with my dad, I was actually working for Derrinstown Stud at the time, so I wasn’t directly involved with the horse, but it was still exciting, to be going to Cheltenham with a horse with a chance. And my dad did think that he had a real chance. Charlie (Swan) was riding him, and that was always a good sign.” Henry had never been to Cheltenham before, but the enormity of the occasion was not lost on him. Fissure Seal was his dad’s only runner. One arrow: bullseye. “It was amazing when he won,” says Henry. “It probably didn’t really sink in at the time, but it was brilliant. It was great for my dad and for everyone at home. A Cheltenham Festival winner was something that you really only ever dreamed about.” If 1993 was a Cheltenham Festival high for de Bromhead, 2008 was a Cheltenham Festival low. Henry had his own licence by then, and Sizing Europe was the shining star of his bright young team. The Pistolet Bleu gelding was sent off as the 2/1 favourite for the 2008 Champion Hurdle on the back of a hugely impressive victory in the Irish Champion Hurdle six weeks earlier, and all appeared to be going well when he travelled best of all down to the second last flight under Andy McNamara. Then, disaster. The horse started to slow, as if he was running out of petrol. In a few strides, he went from travelling like the most likely winner to running on empty, and he trailed last of the 14 finishers, a hundred lengths behind the winner Katchit. We didn’t know it at the time, but Sizing Europe had suffered an injury to his back from which he would do very well to recover. “Of course, it was a real downer at the time,” says Henry, “but you learn from these things. After that, we started to do a lot more flat work with the horses, and that has helped us in the longer term. You have to take the positives out of these things. Also, we managed to get Europe back to health.” It took a while, but de Bromhead’s patience paid off. Sizing Europe didn’t win again until he won his beginners’ chase at Punchestown 14 months later. And he wasn’t beaten after that until he went back to the Cheltenham Festival in 2010 and won the Arkle. “That was some day. We were all the while trying to put things right with the horse, he wasn’t impressive in winning at Leopardstown over Christmas, and Captain Cee Bee and I think Somersby were ahead of him in the betting for the Arkle. But it was some feeling when he won.
Your first Cheltenham Festival winner. A Grade 1 win too, an Arkle. It was amazing, the roar going back into the winner’s enclosure.” It was such a good feeling that de Bromhead decided that he would repeat it the following year – twice. On the first day of the 2011 Festival, he sent out Sizing Australia to win the CrossCountry Chase. Then on the second day, he went back with Sizing Europe, and won the Queen Mother Champion Chase. “It was brilliant to win the Champion Chase. We had had a tough season with Europe again that year. He had been beaten by Kauto Star in the James Nicholson Chase and we had gone to Kempton for the King George, which was postponed. Then we had only finished third in the Tied Cottage Chase on our last run before Henry de Bromhead
Sizing Europe ridden by Andrew Lynch after victory in the Arkle at Cheltenham
Cheltenham. But thankfully it all came right in the Champion Chase. That was a great day.” While racing is Henry de Bromhead’s livelihood, for Aidan Walsh, as for the majority of owners, racing is a hobby. It is Walsh’s success in business that allows him spend money on his hobby. Immersed in the wool business, Walsh went up to the Smithfield market to sell his family’s wool in the 1960s, and ended up staying and working there for the summer. An entrepreneur at heart, he always had a hankering to go out on his own and so, after working for Sir Kenneth Parkinson at the McAuley Wool Processing Plant on the Long Mile Road, he and his friend David Maher decided to go out on their own. And so, in 1972, Texacloth was born.
Aidan Walsh
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Always back to horses. This is Aidan and wife Caren’s first horse with Willie Mullins, and he could be a good one. He is doing fast work, he is due to run in a schooling race soon, and he is exciting. “We have had horses with Gordon before, and we’re hopeful that this one might be a Cheltenham prospect.” “They’re very different, Gordon and Willie,” says Aidan. “Both geniuses, but both very different, and both of them operate with an economy of words. With Gordon, you get one thumbs up if things are good, two thumbs up if things are very good. With Willie, no news is good news. You might get a one-liner or a two-liner. ‘Horse well’ or ‘Horse very well. Doing fast work’. You don’t mind though. They’re both so good. You learn how to interpret what they tell you.” As an owner who has and has had horses with several different trainers, you learn how to interpret each one. The same message Forgive n’ Forget from two different trainers could have very different meanings. “When Jimmy Fitzgerald tells you to “They’re very different, Gordon and back Forgive ‘N Forget Willie, both geniuses, but both very until God calls you, you different, and both of them operate know that you can. We with an economy of words. With Gordon, also have horses with Philip Hobbs, sometimes you get one thumbs up if things are good, you’d have lads calling two thumbs up if things are very good. you, wanting to know With Willie, no news is good news. what the trainer fancied, but Philip will tell you himself, he’s not a very They were successful very quickly. They good tipster! He could have three horses in the took over John M Joyce Wool Merchants on same race, and he’d get them the wrong way Brunswick Street, and Jack Yates’ business in around. And he could have an odds-on shot in a Enniscorthy, and they expanded. They found a race and he’d tell you that he had a good eachroute into Britain through Scotland in the early way chance. It doesn’t really matter though, 1980s, moved into England and Wales shortly because he’s such a good trainer.” afterwards, and they established links with China, There is the other Cheltenham story that links that remain strong for Texacloth today. The Aidan Walsh relates, the one about the wellmajority of their wool is exported to China. known British trainer, a multiple-CheltenhamWalsh’s latest venture is also linked with Festival-winning trainer, who was in their China. It’s not related to wool, but it is related to a company one of the days back in the 1990s. Paddy chance meeting at Cheltanham. Prendergast, a perennial member of the group, “About 23 years ago I met Darren and Grant was saying that he wasn’t happy with the hay Mercer at Cheltenham and we’ve become good that his horses had at Cheltenham. So the British friends over the years. The Mercer brothers have trainer told Paddy to come up to his yard and get been developing an app with an agency in Beijing some hay from him if he wanted, which he duly through which people can pay their utility bills. did, thanking the British trainer for his generosity. It is just starting to bloom now after nine years. The following week, the week after So we thought, why not get a couple of horses Cheltenham, Paddy Prendergast received an together, have one of them with Willie Mullins invoice for the hay. and another with Gordon Elliott?” There will be more stories this year.
“ Sizing Europe ridden by Andrew Lynch after the Smurfit Kappa Champion Hurdle Challenge Trophy
Dawn Run with John Jo O’Neill aboard, is led in after winning the Gold Cup
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est
Into the
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| NATIONAL HUNT OWNER |
ON CONNEMARA’S PONY-PEPPERED COAST, ONE FAMILY STEPPED OUT. SURROUNDED BY STURDY NATIVE GREYS, THE MCNAMARAS HATCHED A PLAN WITH AN OCCASIONAL NEIGHBOUR TO BRING HOTTER BLOOD WEST.
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hat pioneering fire has burned for two generations and, stoked now by expro golfer Derek NcNamara, is finally sparking. “We stick out like a sore thumb in our area,” Derek McNamara says. At 34 he’s the latest head of the McNamara Family Syndicate and one third of the key tripod holding it up. “We’d be known in the local area as racehorse people,” he continues. ”Every other field is all Connemara ponies. But they are all getting a great buzz over the last few years, seeing us come back and have that bit of
success.” It took more decades than anyone in their village, Ballyconeely, could have imagined to achieve that success, but on a Tuesday last August, the McNamaras of multiple flapping victories finally walked in a racecourse winner. Lisa’s Legacy, a down-and-out before Derek bought him, romped to a six-length win in a 2m4f handicap hurdle at Ballinrobe. Perhaps not tearing the house down in Mayo, he certainly teared up a small corner full of McNamaras. “There was a good gang of us that day and we were all thrilled for dad,” he smiles. “Dad has so much pride with everyone coming to congratulate him, everyone realising the hard work he’s put into it. To see the horse win was very emotional, you could really see that in him.” This is a family syndicate with most of McNamaras’s four siblings getting involved — either financially or socially
or both. But for his father Gabriel, the involvement goes acres deeper. It had been the longest road for him, almost single-handedly turning this sixyear-old’s life around. And that’s the business the McNamaras are in. “It’s fun stuff, it’s low key,” Derek explains, “We spend buttons. We buy things that look like crocks and see what we can do with them. We’re trying to find a once-talented horse, or one with a hidden future.” Lisa’s Legacy is the former; starting life on the Flat with Richard Hannon snr, the son of Kyllachy shaped up as a useful middle-distance handicapper, winning over 1m 2f at Sandown and Kempton in his second year. But having rocketed to a handicap mark of 80, it was off to the horses-in-training sale for the potential jumper and across the Irish Sea he went. Robbie Burns managed the switch and there were glimmers of results, but two years after he arrived, this £18,000 purchase was back at the horses-in-training sale. “My fiancée Claire thought I was a bit mad when I bought Lisa’s Legacy from Manhattan.” Derek picks up the thread. “We knew he was going through the ring and a guy called Michael Orlandi from Mullingar (Compas Equine) was at Doncaster for me. “So I was in New York, on holiday, with my dad on one phone and Michael on the other and the sales streaming live on the iPad, trying to buy this horse with a budget of only €2,000. “It probably was nuts, but we got him for €1,400 and he’s exactly the kind of horse we do.” After the long journey to the McNamara homestead, Lisa’s Legacy was handed over to Gabriel, this syndicate’s horseman; another project, another enigma, another thoroughbred disguised as a trekking pony.
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“Yeah, the first day he brought him out, he pointed over to the trekking centre beside us and he said, ‘Look, Derek, I think this lad belongs there; he’s lazy, he doesn’t want to do anything’. Thankfully the beach changed that.” All the work Gabriel does with their horses is on the nearby strand, a quiet, wild place, refreshing for the senses and opening for the mind. “When he started getting him ready on the back, he really liked him in his work. He always found him stiff pulling out, but by the end of his work he was getting really excited, he said he felt like a superstar, a long way ahead of some of the animals he had had.” The missing piece for Lisa’s Legacy now was a trainer. They needed one that could (almost) give as much
“
When he started getting him ready on the back, he really liked him in his work. He always found him stiff pulling out, but by the end of his work he was getting really excited, he said he felt like a superstar, a long way ahead of some of the animals he had had.”
attention to a horse of his level as Gabriel could; it was the only way he could come back to himself. Welcome to the project Shane Ryder. “Someone had already thrown in the towel with him,” Ryder stresses. “But you take it on trust that they’d got their job done. They were happy to take a leap of faith, and I’m happy to go with them.” His operation near Athlone is set up for a maximum of 12 horses – and it always will be – making it an ideal set
up for the McNamaras’ horses; Shane Ryder is the third leg of the tripod. “I’m in a happy position that there’s always one or two waiting,” say the trainer. “I don’t want to get any bigger, you need more staff when that happens and I just want to keep it simple, keep a handle on it and focus more on quality than numbers. “We can train them as individuals. When we come across a horse that needs a little bit of extra attention we’ve time to give him that. In big
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yards some of them fall through the net. Maybe that’s what happened to Lisa’s Legacy.” The McNamaras are the trampoline that bounces back the horses who slip through that net. Apart from Gabriel, the present generation are not necessarily horsepeople, but they do see the talent in him and, while Derek is the driver, he is the vital cog. It was his grandfather who first brought a thoroughbred to Connemara. “Back in the 30s and 40s the access to thoroughbreds in the west, in Connemara, was limited so the racing was with half-breds,” Derek explains. “My grandfather eventually took the next step in the 50s. He got the train up to Goffs and bought a filly by the Irish Derby winner of the time. “He brought her back down on the
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night after night talking the business. “When Captain Hall came around that was a great help to him, and a comfort,” says Derek. “All of a sudden he’s got the head auctioneer at Goffs telling him what’s what. And to walk into Goffs with Captain Hall gave him great confidence and then, so the story goes, when he put his bid in for the filly, he got the hammer down fairly quick to get it sold to him.” She never raced, but that didn’t matter. A seed had been planted in an already racing mad family. Derek’s uncles went on to own horses on the track in the 60s and 70s ‘without a huge amount of joy’, buying cheap and trying to find that elusive winner. But then they dispersed. Then Gabriel was left with the farm, he married Mary, and the children came along. The few thoroughbreds that lurked about the place became background noise and it all started to Back in the 30s and 40s the seem like memories, not access to thoroughbreds in reality. the west, in Connemara, was “When we were small, limited so the racing was we were running around with half-breds. My grandfather the fields after watching the Gold Cup jumping eventually took the next step in over barrels, me thinking the 50s. He got the train up to Goffs I was going to be a and bought a filly by the Irish Derby jockey,” McNamara says. winner of the time” “Robert Hall, Captain Hall’s son, had it set up for me to join RACE. goods train from Dublin to Galway, “I had started to play a bit of golf then got the CIE truck to Clifden. at this stage and I think if I had been When they got there there was no sitting on a horse’s back more, then ramp, so they had to jump the horse things would have been different. off the truck onto a bit of grass and “I’d struggle to be a jockey now; walk another seven miles to where we Dad laughs, he threw me up on one live - my uncle came out to walk the last year and it took off with me. I horse for my grandfather. It was an could just see him, his head shaking – amazing story and that was the first where did it all go wrong. He had this thoroughbred that landed back here.” big fantasy of me becoming a jockey, It was Captain Michael Hall, then but golf took over.” the lead auctioneer at Goffs, who gave It took over for Gabriel too. Proud him the courage to make that journey. of his son’s rapid progression through By chance it was the neighbouring the ranks, he followed him to Connacht house that he had bought as a holiday and Irish Championship wins, and on home, and when they found the to the Irish team, before his success common interest of horses and racing, took him to college in the US. they became firm friends, spending “I got a bit obsessed,” he admits.
“
“I suppose I’m now just as obsessed with the horse racing game as I was with golf. It took me all over, but it was when I was over in America that I made that decision. “Playing-wise, I had seen the standard and knew how tough it was going to be to turn pro. “I knew from there that I wanted to do my training with the PGA and become a club pro. I still want to stay in the game, I just didn’t want to be a professional player.” He returned to Ireland and began training at Portmarnock Golf Club. Competing less, he had more time, and he needed a new outlet for that obsessive nature. He also saw how much training racehorses meant to his father. He saw what he had put on hold for him. “When I was young, dreaming of being a golfer or a jockey, he was dreaming the same things, dreaming of being a trainer, he just got caught
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DEREK MCNAMARA ON…
BUYING
I’m the man at the sales. Dad doesn’t go, but I’ve learnt a lot from him and Michael Orlandi from Compas Equine. Michael’s there, standing beside me with my budget of €2,000, an Arab on the phone with €100,000 to spend. I’m a little pest on the side for him, but he’s a great help despite that. He knows exactly what I’m trying to do. The only thing we don’t want to buy is a horse with a huge breathing problem. Other than that, we’ll give it a chance. It’s always horses in training. It’s not like we’re looking for a sales horse, we’re just trying to get a win out of it and a bit of fun for a couple of years.
up in Connemara,” he says. “Growing up they were living off the farmand doing everything, cattle and sheep, fishing as well, and my dad was the youngest, so he took on all the responsibilities when his brothers left home. “He had applied to a lot of trainers up the country when he was in his 20s, but didn’t get any response. He was just situated in the wrong place and they probably didn’t think a fellow from Connemara could know a lot. “If we lived on the Curragh, or in the Midlands, dad would have been heavily involved as an owner, and he might have been a trainer.” At 63, Gabriel, with the backing of his sons, daughters and wife Mary, is starting to achieve that dream. Lisa’s Legacy, cajoled out of his rut by the horseman, is an established success and, having nursed his shin and back problems, the £800 purchase Rocco’s Delight made his
McNamara debut on the all-weather at Dundalk last November. Derek his getting what he wanted too; he’s three years into a club pro position at Oughterard Golf Club, putting him that much closer to the horses – and family – he loves. Next year he will marry, and perhaps one day he will take over the farm and its iconic racehorses, but if he doesn’t, there are clear signs the next generation of Connemara’s famous McNamaras might. “I have a little nephew that’s back there that’s five now,” says Derek. “He lives right beside my dad, my sister Lisa’s boy, and is a hardy little guy, who messes around with the horses as well. So the dream for me, and my dad probably, is that he’ll take on the riding side. “Because dad is going to have to stop. That’s why I keep saying to people; live the dream for the next couple of years while we can.”
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TRAINER ONE
Muredach Kelly tried his hardest for us before we teamed up with Shane Ryder. Unfortunately it didn’t work out with the horses we sent him, but it’s definitely working out for him now as assistant trainer to Adrian Keatley on the Curragh. He’s enjoying life a lot more and deserves it. He’s just such a nice guy and he’d a few tough years, I mean we could see that. It’s hard getting horses in the area he’s in, even for Shane, but he’s up there with Adrian now and he’s flying it. I’m sure he’d probably love to be the main man, but at the same time the situation he’s in is taking him places. They are probably bouncing off each other, and it’s an intelligent move for Adrian.
COACHING
I really enjoy it, and I’ve got a guy now whose out in America. I’ve been coaching him for the last year and he’s now going through what I went through, so I can tell him what the good things are and the bad things and see him blossom. Oughterard Golf Course is a beautiful place to work; it was a 140-acre estate owned by the Willis family until the late 1960s when it was sold to a local consortium of business people. The area where the main buildings are used to be the main stable yard, and the cobblestones are still there, as is the essence of that original use.
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| SYNDICATES |
2.
The syndicate must register and be approved by HRI. A syndicate registration form must be completed and signed by all members for each horse owned by the syndicate. All correspondence with HRI must be carried out by the agent.
4.
8. 5.
SYNDICATE MEMBERS SHOULD GIVE VALID CONTACT DETAILS WHEN COMPLETING THE SYNDICATE REGISTRATION FORM TO AVAIL OF EXCLUSIVE OFFERS, DISCOUNTS AND INVITES THROUGHOUT THE YEAR.
A syndicate can have multiple horses but the member must remain the same in all horses.
A Beginners Guide
toaForming
6.
A limited number of changes to the membership of a syndicate will be accommodated at the discretion of HRI. All such amendments must be made in writing on the official form.
Syndicate M 3. ore and more owners are now choosing to be part of a syndicate or indeed form their own syndicate with a group of family or friends. This makes racehorse ownership more cost effective, allows you to buy a better horse and ensures you’ll have lots of fun going racing with the group. Here is our beginners guide to forming a syndicate. Please consult the AIRO and HRI websites for more detailed information on regulations governing syndicates.
The syndicate name must be approved by HRI. Contact the Registrations Department of the HRI and they will carry out provisional name checks.
7.
SYNDICATE LEASES CAN ONLY BE REGISTERED FOR NAMED HORSES.
9.
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1.
TO FORM A SYNDICATE YOU WILL NEED TO HAVE BETWEEN FIVE AND TWENTY MEMBERS, ONE OF WHO MUST BE A REGISTERED OWNER AND ACT AS THE AGENT FOR THE SYNDICATE. THE AGENT IS NOMINATED BY THE SYNDICATE MEMBERS.
The owner may appear on the race card in either the agent or syndicate name.
HRI STRONGLY RECOMMENDS THAT A SET OF RULES OR SYNDICATE AGREEMENT BE DRAWN UP TO ENSURE THE SMOOTH RUNNING OF YOUR SYNDICATE AND MINIMISE THE RISK OF A DISPUTE.
10.
A SUCCESSFUL SYNDICATE IS AN ORGANISED SYNDICATE. SEE THE HRIS SUGGESTED 12 POINTS TO BEAR IN MIND WHEN SETTING UP A SYNDICATE IRISHRACEHORSEOWNERS. COM/SYNDICATE.
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arr ior o
me n
| ACT D WAGG SYNDICATE |
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THIS IS A STORY ABOUT FOUR GIRLS, A HORSE AND A DREAM. A STORY THAT STARTS AT TRAMORE ON AN ORDINARY SATURDAY EVENING DURING THE SUMMER OF 2014, AND WHICH GOES TO GALWAY AND CHELTENHAM AND ROYAL ASCOT AND CHICAGO. ACTUALLY, THE STORY MAY START IN TRAMORE IN THE SUMMER OF 2014, BUT THE DREAM STARTED LONG BEFORE THAT, WRITES DONN MCCLEAN.
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Jason Clarke
Knitwear supplied by: Cashmere Scarves: kdk.ie, Cashmere Knitwear: lucynagle.com
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npick the story. Get all four girls together (not easy by the way), settle down in armchairs in a Dublin city centre hotel and let the recorder and the conversation whir. Start with an easy one, like how do they know each other? Blank stares. It has been a while. Turns out, Gillian Walsh and Aisling Gannon went to school together and they have been best friends since. Gillian knows Tamso Doyle through pony club. Again, best buddies since. Gillian and Áine Casey met through their husbands, Ruby and David. Áine’s
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husband Michael’s father bought him with Mags O’Toole, and the story began.” TD: “So it was with Royal Ascot in mind that Clondaw Warrior was bought. I know, it wasn’t very realistic, but it was a dream!” AG: “The boys did like him though. Michael liked him. They thought that he had a lot of ability. Okay, he had lost his way a little, but he had shown ability.” TD: “We wouldn’t have been able to afford a horse who was definitely a Royal Ascot horse, so we had to take a bit of a chance.” ÁC: “It was bonkers really. To expect that we could have a Royal Ascot horse, our first horse, our only horse.” TD: “I was last in. Michael and (my husband) David were out having a drink one night and Michael asked David if he would be interested – We always thought that we would David said yes straight away. He bought a leg love to have a horse together, and in him as a birthday that he would run at Royal Ascot. We go to Royal Ascot every year together, present for me.” It was just a and that was the dream, to have a horse fortunate coincidence who was good enough to run there.” that the horse had four legs. ÁC: “He was always going to be trained husband and Aisling’s husband Michael by Willie Mullins. Ruby and David were are also good friends. Aisling met there, so it was a no-brainer. Even for a Michael at Gillian and Ruby’s wedding. flat horse.” Tamso knew Ruby Walsh when they So you have the horse, who has were kids. The connections are already been named, but you need a labyrinthine. And racing. name for the syndicate. Gillian Walsh sums it up: “It’s not All: “Ruby!” today nor yesterday that we all got Sorry? together.” GW:“Ruby came up with the name None of the four really owned a very quickly. Act D Wagg. They needed horse before Clondaw Warrior came a name, the horse was being entered along. and we didn’t have a name, so he came up with it in five minutes. And when GW: “We always thought that we would he rang me to tell me, I said, that’s a love to have a horse together, and that dreadful name! It’s an anagram, all our he would run at Royal Ascot. We go to initials.” Royal Ascot every year together, and Áine Casey, Tamso Doyle, Aisling that was the dream, to have a horse Gannon, Gillian Walsh. ACTDAGGW. who was good enough to Just two vowels. Not easy. ÁC: “We didn’t like the Wag reference! run there. Clondaw None of us liked it. But we thought, it’s Warrior came available, Aisling’s
“
Jason Clarke
not a big deal, the horse probably won’t amount to much anyway.” TD: “And now look, it’s quite the big deal! So we thought, sure we’ll keep the name. It’s quite lucky.” And the colours? GW: “Aisling likes grey, Tamso likes pink, so we
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said, go for it. They are quite nice colours, but they are difficult to pick out during a race. They turn into a kind of a greige. But they are good colours for photos and things afterwards.” So it was at Tramore on that Saturday evening in August 2014 that Clondaw
Warrior raced for the first time in the Act D Wagg colours. The owners congregated beforehand with their husbands and kids. Tamso was away, but Aisling was there, Áine was there, Gillian was there with baby Gemma in a baby carrier.
ÁC: “We were quite hopeful. We thought that he would run well. I always know, when David suggests that I should bring (daughter) Clodagh, that he thinks he has a good chance.” AG: “None of us backed him, we were just delighted that he won. We had a great
day. But we were always afraid to back him after that. Superstition. We were always afraid that he would run badly.” TD: “Like that day at The Curragh, the Irish Cesarewitch, when he was favourite and he finished almost last. That was awful.
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Jason Clarke
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We all went, we were all hoping that he would win obviously, he was favourite. That was very disappointing. Then he won the November Handicap at Leopardstown two weeks later, and none of us were there!” GW: “In fairness, we all had good excuses. We were all away. I think everyone was out of the country except Aisling.” AG: “I was at home with the kids, and I thought of going up, but then I thought, what would be the fun in that? It was great to win it of course, but it would have been brilliant if we all had been there.” They were all at
Cheltenham three weeks later when Clondaw Warrior finished third in the Greatwood Hurdle. AG: “That for me was one of the highlights. That was brilliant. It was so exciting. I know he was only third, but he ran such a brilliant race, he was only just beaten. I remember after the race, up in the stands, thinking that I wouldn’t be able to walk down off the stands. My legs were that weak.” ÁC: “David rode him that day, and that always makes it a bit more nerve-wracking. Gillian will tell you the same thing, you can’t enjoy it as much when your husband is riding him. It’s brilliant
afterwards, but during the race, you’re just nervous in case something goes wrong.” GW: “Yeah, I hate the fact that David is retired! It used to be that Ruby and David would take turns. Like when he was brought down in the BoyleSports Hurdle at Leopardstown with Ruby on him, that wasn’t a good day. Luckily Ruby wasn’t badly injured, but it was quite a nasty fall. Something like that could take all the fun out of it for you, Ruby getting injured off our horse.” TD: “We have been so lucky with him though. He is such an amazing horse. And Virginie Bascoup looks
after him so well at Willie’s. He’s the screen-saver on her phone. We don’t expect too much. Like even when he was second at Fairyhouse last year, and third at Punchestown, we were thrilled. And we don’t get too disappointed when he gets beaten. We realise how lucky we are to have him.” GW: “For me, when he won his first race, that was it. I was just thrilled that we had a winner. Anything after that was a bonus.” ÁC: “For me, it was Royal Ascot. That was amazing. That was the dream.” Royal Ascot nearly didn’t happen that year. Clondaw Warrior was so low in the handicap that it was touch and go whether he would or wouldn’t get into the Ascot Stakes. GW: “I remember slagging Willie, telling him he had one job to do, to get our horse into the Ascot Stakes!” AG: “I was on holiday in Portugal the previous week, and I spent all my time checking my phone, seeing if he had a chance of getting in. We were all going anyway, we were going on the Tuesday, the day of the Ascot Stakes, so we were all booked. We just needed the horse to get into the race.” He got in all right, sneaked in down at the bottom of the handicap on nine stone, and Willie booked Ryan Moore to ride. That was something, having a horse run at Royal Ascot and having Ryan Moore ride him. AG: “We remember every bit of the race. He was well back in the field early on, it didn’t look very promising.” TD: “I turned to Ruby as they raced down the side of the track, the horse was so far
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ACT D WAGG SYNDICATE |
all coordinate jewellery, they didn’t all decide to wear the watches today, just for the interview. They always wear them. AG: “I’d be afraid that, if I didn’t wear it, the horse wouldn’t run well.” GW: “Yeah I’m kind of the same. I always wear it.” ÁC “It’s like David won’t put any pictures of winning horses up on the wall. It’s a superstition thing. I’m kind of like that with this watch. I won’t take it off until Clondaw retires from racing.” GW: “So we went back to AP and Chanelle’s picnic after racing at Royal Ascot, and we drank them out of champagne. And everyone we knew, we invited them back to the picnic too. Chanelle was brilliant, all these people drinking her champagne.’ TD: “We didn’t leave the car park until it was dark.” AG: “It was a dream, really. That was what we wanted, to get to Royal Ascot. In the stands beforehand, I remember saying, we’re here now, this is the dream, this is as good as it gets. But then to win.” GW: “And Willie is such a genius. He knew all along that that was what we wanted, to be at Royal Ascot. So to have Clondaw primed like that, to be as well as he was, and to just get into the race like that on a low weight. He’s unbelievable.” The dream continued. The Galway Hurdle was the next target for Clondaw Warrior the following month – insofar as you can have a target after winning at Royal Ascot – but he didn’t get into the race, so he ran instead in the Guinness Handicap instead on the Friday at
Galway, and he won that. In the back of their heads, however, was the thought that they would have another go at the Galway Hurdle the following year. AG: “Galway last year was brilliant. It was different to Royal Ascot, we had a lovely day, and the fact that Ruby was riding him made it special.” GW: “It was torture watching it! I only watched it in snatches. I remember going in to watch the replay, and I enjoyed that so much.” ÁC: “He only just got there. He just got out. It was brilliant. It was a brilliant ride by Ruby.”
remember Tracy Piggott was interviewing us, and I could see Ruby looking over at me. So I went over to him and he got off the horse and gave me a kiss. And he told me that, when he was going through the race the previous evening, he played the race out in his mind, he won the race, he got off and he gave me a kiss. The race went exactly as he had planned, so he just wanted it to play all out exactly as it had played out in his mind.” Clondaw Warrior then went to Arlington Park in Chicago and finished second in the American St Leger. This season, he
“
We always thought that we would love to have a horse together, and that he would run at Royal Ascot. We go to Royal Ascot every year together, and that was the dream, to have a horse who was good enough to run there.”
TD: “And it was Ruby’s first Galway hurdle, which made it even more special. Aisling was just about to have her baby, so thankfully baby George stayed in!” ÁC: “And the last time that Willie won it was in 1996, so exactly 20 years previously, with Mystical City, who was ridden by David. So it was all a bit weird really, but weird in a great way.” TD: “We didn’t really see Willie for very long before the race. But as he was walking away, he just said, see you in the winner’s enclosure!” GW: “When they were coming back in after winning, Ruby on board, I
| MAGAZINE 2017 |
back, and I said, oh well at least we’re here. That was all we wanted anyway. And Ruby said yeah. He didn’t seem to think that it looked very promising either.” They re-live the race, every hoof-beat. They were all there together, the four girls and their four husbands, four behind four in the owners’ and trainers’ stand, Willie and Jackie Mullins just beside them, and gradually hope grew as they field started to turn for home and Clondaw Warrior started to make his ground. Gradually and inexorably, he came with his withering run down the outside, Ryan Moore, clad in the Act D Wagg grey and pink silks, in perfect unison with the horse’s stride. They hit the front at the furlong pole and stayed on to beat Fun Mac by a half a length. Pandemonium in the owners’ and trainers’ stand. AG: “It was unbelievable.” TD: “I think we screamed the place down.” ÁC: “It wasn’t very Royal Ascot-ish.” GW: “Yeah we went nuts.” ÁC: “Hats went flying.” AG: “We so didn’t expect it.” TD: “And all our friends were there. Everyone ran into the parade ring. It wasn’t like Royal Ascot at all. And the presentation. It was all amazing. And part of the prize for the winning owner was a gentleman’s Longines watch, which Longines very kindly agreed to swap for four lady’s watches.” Tamso holds out her left arm, and there it is, classic and elegant. Typical Longines. Aisling holds out her left arm, same watch. Then Áine, then Gillian. No, they didn’t
won a three-mile hurdle at Clonmel on his first attempt at the trip, and he finished second behind Vroum Vroum Mag in the Grade 1 Christmas Hurdle at Leopardstown’s Christmas Festival. He is a remarkable horse, and he has fantastic owners who appreciate all that he has achieved. The prize money that he has won has been well worthwhile, there are kitchens and extensions and outfits and Jimmy Choo shoes that are down to Clondaw Warrior but, more than that, the journey has been extraordinary. The story continues.
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Owners at our o u c r e s c es a R
We care about
We recognise the importance of the owners in our industry and our tracks Fairyhouse, Tipperary, Navan and Leopardstown aim to offer a memorable experience. Each owner with a runner will enjoy a complimentary lunch , while winning owners will enjoy a celebratory drink in the dedicated winners area and receive a copy of the race DVD
Fairyhouse Racecourse Email: info@fairyhouse.ie Phone: (01) 825 6167 Web: WWW.FAIRYHOUSE.IE
240867 Fairyhouse AIRO Jm.indd 1
Navan Racecourse Email: info@navanracecourse.ie Phone: (046) 902 1350 Web: www.navanracecourse.ie
Leopardstown Email: info@leopardstown.com Phone: (01) 289 0500 Web: www.leopardstown.com
Tipperary Email: info@tipperaryraces.com Phone: (062) 51537 Web: www.tipperaryraces.ie
14/02/2017 12:40
Treating Mind Body AS FAR AS SPORTS GO, THERE ARE FEW MORE PHYSICALLY DEMANDING AS HORSE RACING. THE ASSOCIATION OF IRISH RACEHORSE OWNERS TALK TO DR ADRIAN MCGOLDRICK, THE SENIOR MEDICAL OFFICER FOR WHOM A SPORTINGFIT MIND AND BODY GO HAND IN HAND.
H
orse racing has long survived on the excitement and fast-paced entertainment it offers to its spectators. While no one understands this thrill more keenly than the jockeys who have shaped a career from this sport, for them it can have dangerous consequences, both physically and mentally. For thirty one years Dr Adrian McGoldrick has been a Racecourse Medical Officer and for
the last nine of those years he has proudly held the position of Turf Club Senior Medical Officer. “My priority is obviously the medical welfare of all riders, amateurs and professionals, of which we 170 professionals and over about 350 amateur riders.” Along with his daily duties as Senior Medical Officer, this role involves medical research into areas such as jockey safety and acting as a support for struggling jockeys and their families.
TREATING THE BODY Despite the dangerous nature of the racing profession, the injury statistics for both professional and amateur jockeys are predominantly low. While there are a small portion of serious injuries, these are not the norm, with many recorded as mere soft tissue damage. According to Rules of Racing statistics, out of the total fourteen injuries recorded in 2015, seven of these were a either a haematoma, contusion or bruise, two were abrasions or lacerations and just one was a concussion. The remaining four injuries were linked to ligament damage. Adrian says, “65 per cent of injuries will be soft tissue, about 25 per cent will be fractures and about 10 per cent will be concussions. It doesn’t change from year to year believe it or not, it’s actually very consistent. The fall rate remains almost static.” The National Hunt injury statistics confirms this as it reveals the fall rate among jockeys has either remained steady or declined year on year from 2009 in which 1,095 falls occurred to 2015 where 777 falls occurred. Figures show that there has also been a reduction in participating jockeys and this could be a contributing factor to these statistics. In point to point racing the fall rate per ride was as low as 12.44 per cent in the 2015/2016 season and the injury rate per fall was a minimal 6.01 per cent. Despite the low statistics, concussions are still taken very seriously by the racing community as they can have severe consequences on riders. Adrian has spent the previous five years campaigning to increase helmet safety standards in the racing community. “If it has been accepted then it will take about another three months for it to be implemented. That will be the first rewrite of the European standard in 21 years.” Explains Adrian.
| MAGAZINE 2017 |
| MIND AND BODY |
This increase will will affect amateur and professional jockeys along with recreational riders. It is a significant improvement from the 1996 standards, however, many in the industry believe
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that these will not be sufficient to fully ensure the safety of jockeys who have suffered a severe fall or injury. Among those who believe the standard should be raised further, Adrian will continue to recommend jockeys use a higher grade helmet to avoid serious or life limiting injuries. He says, “We will still be recommending our riders in Ireland wear a higher level and I would hope that once the standards that we have come in, they may immediately apply to have it rewritten again to up the standard again and that would be the aim.”
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TREATING THE MIND The respect the racing community holds for Adrian is widely recognised and highly deserved. Yet, his work as Senior Medical Officer is not confined to treating physical illness or injury. Through his relationship with industry members, he’s acted as a trusted advisor for those who find themselves struggling both physically and mentally. In his career he has encouraged a number of jockeys to make open statements regarding their mental health, effectively helping to lift the stigma of depression from the industry. He says, “It’s perfectly OK to talk about a fractured leg or any other form of physical illness but mental illness is very much stigmatised in Ireland and we’ve been trying to destigmatise it over the last few years. I think the field and the racing post have been exceptionally helpful in doing that.” A mental health study conducted by Adrian, examining symptoms of depression among jockeys concluded that among the 116 participants 32.4 per cent of amateurs jockeys displayed symptoms of depression, whereas 57.1 per cent professional jockeys displayed symptoms. Various lifestyle and medical criteria, such as age, gender, attempting to make weight, previous injury, and previous concussions were examined within the study to determine if they were a precursor to depression within the racing industry. Among the group of professional
jockeys, the study revealed that those who have experienced head injuries or concussions had a greater risk of depression compared to those with no history of of these type of injuries. Yet, the study concluded that none of these factors were more significant predictors of depression than whether the jockey was an amateur or professional. The study revealed that a professional jockey is nearly three times more likely to be depressed when compared to an amateur. According to this study, 65.2 per cent of professional jockeys aged 18-24 display symptoms of depression and 27.3 per cent of the same age group in amateurs display symptoms of depression. In Irish population as a whole, this figure is 28.4 per cent. For jockeys, part of the struggle involved with depression is the concern that they will be unable to compete. Yet, Adrian notes that most are unaware of how common depression is, along with how manageable the condition is once an individual seeks help. “We have no issues with jockeys riding with depression, we have a protocol in place where, if they are depressed and we have to put them on medication, that we do an assessment on them while they’re on the medication after two weeks to discern whether they’re fit to return to riding. I’ve no issues with jockeys riding while on antidepressants.” Once a jockey has been diagnosed with depression and placed on appropriate medication, they undergo post concussion test two weeks after they begin their round of anti-depressants. This measure is to ensure there is no cognitive impairment, they’re fully alert and they are taking their medication as advised. Once a jockey has passed this routine test there are no restrictions preventing them for racing. For those suffering from physical or mental illness, there are official supports available in the form of racing organisations, such as the recently formed Industry Assistance Programme, a free, confidential and
expertly run organisation. “I’d say we have been very fortunate through the HRI, the Industry Assistance Programme opened six months ago.” says Adrian. “Every stable staff member, everybody working in the industry, I think there’s 35,000, have been sent a little leaflet, a little card with telephone numbers, it’s a free phone number, available 24/7, 365 days a year where someone who has any form of distress, be it physical, psychological, financial, can ring the freephone number for advice.” The Industry Assistance Programme isn’t the only organisation dedicated to helping jockeys in distress. There are five organisations including Industry Assistance Ireland. These are the Irish Injured Jockeys Fund, The Emergency Fund, The Drogheda Memorial Fund and the Qualified Riders Fund. Each of these supports are set up to care for jockeys in distress, be that physical, mental or financial. One aspect of support that Adrian believes is unique to Ireland is the communication between every facet of the racing community in regard to supporting members. “We have a panel of talents across the country who are available to everybody involved in racing and who provide support. That’s the great thing in Ireland, we work as a group with the trainers, with the owners, with the jockey’s association, with the HRI and the Turf Club.” He explains. “No unilateral decisions is made, that’s one way that I do think Ireland is very unique in racing, there is a very close interlink between all of the different bodies and I think that’s very worthsome.” For Adrian, the most significant accomplishment of his career to date is that, when horse racing professionals are struggling, they choose to turn to him for support, fully understanding the confidentiality that exists between them. He says, “About nine years I’ve been in the job and the most important thing I’ve done is achieve the confidence of the jockeys. I think that’s probably the hardest thing to achieve in any job.”
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| SYNDICATING SUCCESS |
upreme Leveller | MAGAZINE 2017 |
WHEN JIM BALFRY AND STEVE MASSEY FIRST FORMED THE IDEA BEHIND THE SUPREME RACING CLUB, EQUALITY WAS FOREMOST IN THEIR MIND. IT WAS TO MAKE RACEHORSE OWNERSHIP ACCESSIBLE TO ALL. REMARKABLY, THAT GOAL HAS BEEN ACHIEVED WITHIN JUST FIVE SEASONS, WRITES LISSA OLIVER.
ow entering a sixth season of racing, and with Listen Dear already getting them on the winners’ board for 2016/17, the Supreme Racing Club has 600 members and, according to Jim, “Business has never been busier than in the past six months.” With around 50 horses currently in training with Willie Mullins, Jim sees a cap on numbers at 50-60. “It gets more impersonal the bigger you get,” he explains, which is not what the Club is about. “The big plus, for me, is that I know every member. When you lose that intimacy, well, good luck.” Good luck and goodbye, the rueful emphasis implies. Jim and Steve have certainly enjoyed good luck, but that luck has been shaped by a great deal of knowledge, experience and plain hard work. Jim repeatedly emphasises the part Willie Mullins has played in the success of the Club and the legendary
Closutton handler is key to the operation and very much involved. The Supreme Racing Club came into being when Jim Balfry met with Steve Massey, just as both men were about to retire. “It was meant to be a hobby,” Jim admits, “but it’s now a fulltime job. You couldn’t run a syndicate like this if you had a full-time job.” Jim had been involved with syndicates and ownership with Willie Mullins for more than 20 years and Steve, at that time still in a prominent role with M&S, was keen to get involved with racing and approached him for advice. As they both retired in 2011, so the Supreme Racing Club took off. “We set out to make it affordable for the man in the street,” Jim explains. “We had seen a lot of syndicates in Ireland fall apart due to a lack of organisation and, as well as having an excellent administrator, Steve also fetches a
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wealth of experience from M&S.” Every decision involving the horses, from purchasing to race planning, is left to Willie Mullins. Steve is the marketing expert and Jim is the people person, keeping the 600 members personally informed and relaying information direct from the County Carlow gallops, where he can be found up to twice a week. It’s very much hands-on and the personal touch is key. “We have 50 horses and 50 syndicates,” explains Jim. “Some horses have five owners, some have 10, some have 20. The share in a horse is based upon what the member can afford to pay. No member knows how much of a horse another member owns. As far as the Club is concerned, everyone is an equal owner and that goes for all the Club’s horses. Payday may come from the particular horse a member owns, but every member is made to
“
feel involved in every The best part of my work is horse. They can to see a smile on someone’s share in the race day face. You can’t buy that.” experience whenever the Club has a runner and are kept informed of every horse owned by the Club.” collected his trophy for the leading This may amount to a great deal rider of the meeting, he was wearing of work for Jim and Steve, but it is a our colours. There were 20 of us there crucial feature of the success of the and Ascot had generously given us Supreme Racing Club. They have eight winner’s enclosure passes. We negotiated a subsidy with AIRO to managed to be a bit underhanded, provide passes for every member shall we say, and Ascot was very good on every day’s racing of which the and probably turned a blind eye!” Club has a runner. And racecourses, Pique Sous, interestingly, was the generally, are obliging when it comes first horse the Club purchased. “Willie to the winner’s enclosure access. had bought three at the sales and “When Pique Sous won at Royal Ascot, advised us to go and have a look at you couldn’t have planned it better,” them,” Jim reveals. “We had the wives Jim recalls fondly. “It was the last race with us and they liked the grey horse of the meeting, the hottest day of the best! He took us to the Cheltenham year and we had Champion Jockey Festival and was only just beaten into Ryan Moore riding for us. When he third by Champagne Fever in the
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| SYNDICATING SUCCESS |
Season Winners 2011/2012:
• Hats And Heels • Supreme Carolina • Pique Sous • Letherbelucky • Chiltern Hills
2012/2013:
• Zuzka • Pique Sous • Reine Angevine • Supreme Carolina • Letherbelucky • Great Jones • Chiltern Hills
2013/2014:
• Very Much So • Shesafoxylady • Chiltern Hills • Beluckyagain • Supreme Bailerina • Wood Breizh • Ask Vic • Bluemountainbeach
2014/2015:
| MAGAZINE 2017 |
win, we send her back to her breeder to be covered, because there’s no point risking a well-bred mare with no chance of improving her If they come to us, they can come track record. So it’s a two-way thing and racing with us straight away with that relationship we any of the Club’s horses, even have helps.” though their own payoff won’t be It’s a case of until the horse they share in is ready. safety in numbers, But they can still come racing and be and filling the void between making an a part of the Club while they wait, we expensive purchase fill that vacuum for them.” and having a runner on the track is something the Grade One Champion Bumper; then Supreme Racing Club is always able to he took us to Royal Ascot, and it all do. “An individual could buy a young grew from there.” horse for €20,000 or €30,000, but Prior to Pique Sous, the Club then they’ve to wait 18 months before had formed a very good working it’s ready to run. A lot can happen relationship with leading National in that time, it could get injured and Hunt breeders, circumnavigating never reach the track,” Jim says. “If the minefield of leasing, and raced they come to us, they can come racing well-bred fillies and mares, with much with us straight away with any of the success. That continues to this day, Club’s horses, even though their own filling the void between the purchase payoff won’t be until the horse they of a promising young horse and its share in is ready. But they can still first racecourse appearance. “The come racing and be a part of the Club breeders want to retain the bloodlines while they wait, we fill that vacuum and we pay for everything until we for them.” hand the mare back after racing,” Jim and Steve also remove the Jim says. “If she’s not good enough to heavy burden of ownership, leaving
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• Avant Tout • Ask Vic • Daring Carlotta • Wood Breizh • Uranna • Myska • Avant Tout • Tarabiyn • Verawal • Run Fly Run • Tempest Missile
2015/2016:
• Avant Tout • Listen Dear • Uranna • Myska • Pearl Diamond • Airlie Beach
2016/2017 (to date): • Listen Dear
the Club members simply to enjoy the raceday experience and thrill of racehorse ownership, without the headaches. “We take the hard work out of it,” Jim agrees. “And you can never ignore the Willie Mullins factor, we offer ordinary people the chance to have a horse in training with him.” And not just ordinary people. The Club has big investors, too, because even the big owners enjoy the hassle-free ease of the Supreme Racing Club. More and more are joining from the UK, too, because, as Jim points out, cheap flights and easy accessibility to Irish racecourses makes a day at the races in Ireland far better value than staying at home, sitting in motorway traffic.
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Winners AVANT TOUT
whose six wins in 2015 and 2016 included the Gr2 Hugh McMahon Memorial Novice Chase, Novice Handicap Chase at the Punchestown Festival
LISTEN DEAR
whose six wins in 2015 and 2016 included Gr3 Lough Construction Ltd Mares Novice Hurdle (Down Royal, October 2015)
PIQUE SOUS
With its wealth of contacts and experience, the Club benefits horse and owner more indirectly, too. Something few syndicates consider and what many individual owners run into problems with is what happens when a horse retires. “We pride ourselves on finding new homes for all of our horses when they finish racing,” Jim says. “We enjoy receiving photos of them, out hunting or in their new career.” The biggest thing, of course, is to go racing and nothing beats the thrill of going racing as an owner. “Their horse may not turn up, but they should,” Jim insists, as he reminds us of the lows, as well as the highs. “A horse might be due to run, but get a bruised foot or the ground changes and we’re left without a runner on the day. But we’re all about going to the races and having a good day out. I don’t care who’s in racing, they’ll all get their day, and they’ll all have bad luck with the good luck, that’s just racing.” As Jim points out, the safety net against the bad days is the size of the Supreme Racing Club. “I feel sorry for the small syndicates and individual owners. To have a runner you really need four horses. We circumnavigate the risks with our purchased horses by having the mares there. So if one of the horses we’ve purchased breaks
whose eight wins from 2012 to 2014 included the Gr2 Rathbarry & Glenview Studs Novice Hurdle (Fairyhouse, April 2013); Petingo Handicap (Leopardstown, September 2013) and Queen Alexandra Stakes (Royal Ascot, 2014)
ZUZKA
whose five wins in 2012 included Gr3 I.T.B.A Fillies Scheme European Breeders Fund Mares Hurdle (Leopardstown, December 2012) and Gr3 Fergus O’Toole Memorial Novice Hurdle (Limerick, October, 2012).
down, we’ll give its shareholders a mare instead. They’ll continue to pay their fees and they’ll still have a horse to run. That’s the way we planned it. Because outside that, if an owner loses a horse that’s it, they’re gone out of the game.” Jim and Steve are passionate about racing, passionate about encouraging involvement and that passion is what has led to the Club’s success. As Jim acknowledges above, with success in racing comes bitter disappointment, but he’s there to handle the bad news, too. Avant Tout is a classic case in point, the promising youngster tragically lost at Naas in November. Jim always
| SYNDICATING SUCCESS |
takes great care in how he breaks bad news and knowing every member individually helps a great deal. No one is ever on their own in the Club. “We have a website with a members’ log in page and we can personal message, too. I’m always at the end of the phone. I’ll turn it off from 8pm, because it can get too much otherwise, but I never fail to return a missed call.” The only thing not encouraged is big betting. “If members want to put something on, that’s their own business, but we don’t encourage it,” Jim says. “We provide an update at 1pm on the eve of the race, but you can never know for sure how a horse will run on the day.” The Club has continually grown and from prize money of €100,000 in the early days it now surpasses €1.5m, enabling it to invest more heavily in proven horses. “The position we’re in, we’re better off buying a proven horse, you have to be very lucky when you’re buying a store horse,” Jim admits. “You need the power of Willie Mullins behind you and his network, sourcing proven horses. We have a lot of young horses coming out for us this season and there is a lot of expectation, which is going to be hard to handle. We have 15 promising youngsters and some bubbles to be burst.” A first Cheltenham Festival winner is high on the wish list and it mustn’t be forgotten that there is still an Irish track that the Club have yet to win a race at – the Curragh. But for the Club it’s ultimately about the day out and Jim reminds racecourses that hospitality is key to the experience. “Even if they lose, they had a lovely day and they’ll come back and they’ll tell their friends. And they’ll tell them if they had a bad experience too,” he warns. Being part of a Club that prides itself on its intimacy and in all taking ownership is a win-win for members, but it sounds like a labour of love for Jim and Steve. Jim clearly thrives on what he does and he sums it up when he says, “The best part of my work is to see a smile on someone’s face. You can’t buy that.”
| MAGAZINE 2017 |
BigRace
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CURRAGH PAST
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The Curragh will stage 18 race days commencing on 13th May and finishing 10th September. The shortened season will facilitate the construction of the new Curragh development.
HIGHLIGHTS INCLUDE: 27th & 28th May: Tattersalls Irish Guineas Festival 30th June to 2nd July: Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby Festival 15th & 16th July: Darley Irish Oaks Weekend 10th September: Longines Irish Champions Weekend (day 2)
CURRAGH PRESENT
High quality temporary facilities will be used for spectators in 2017. Owners with runners on the day will continue to have access to the Owners’ Lounge, together with a variety of other benefits to enhance their race day experience
See www.curragh.ie for all the latest news and information 045 441205
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14/02/2017 13:02
| STABLE STAFF |
Stable
BERNARD CALDWELL HAS BEEN THE CHAIRMAN OF THE IRISH STABLE STAFF ASSOCIATION (ISSA) SINCE 2007, AND HAS HELPED TO PROTECT THE RIGHTS OF STAFF WORKING WITHIN THE RACING SECTOR OF THE IRISH EQUINE INDUSTRY. HE TELLS TIERNAN CANNON ABOUT THE ASSOCIATION’S ACTIVITIES AND ABOUT THE RECENT PAY DEAL HE HELPED TO NEGOTIATE.
“T
he idea of the Irish Stable Staff Association,” begins Bernard Caldwell, Chairman of the Association, “is to make sure the welfare of anything associated with stable staff is properly looked after and policed. That’s what we do – we make sure the staff are properly treated and that the employers give them whatever they’re supposed to.” The ISSA was established in 1999 and seeks to protect the rights of Irish stable staff through open dialogue and negotiation with the Irish Racehorse Trainers Association (IRTA). “Whether it be their wages or terms and conditions, we’re their contact,” says Caldwell. “We are the body who represents most people within the industry.” In 2004, the ISSA reached a landmark agreement with IRTA regarding the minimum terms and conditions of employment for stable
with expenses for a day meeting increasing from €40 to €50, and expenses for an evening meeting increasing from €50 to €60. The agreement does not prevent a trainer from paying more favourable terms and conditions, but does prohibit any trainer licensed by the Turf Club in Ireland from paying less favourable terms. Moreover, if any changes were to occur to the minimum wage limit in Ireland as set out by legislation, both the ISSA and the IRTA would have to meet again to discuss the implications of the new conditions
staff. The agreement recognised the unique talents of people working within the horse racing industry, creating a specific minimum wage for stable staff, separate to the minimum terms and conditions of employment established under the pre-existing “Agricultural We make sure the staff are Workers Joint Labour Committee.” properly treated and that the This deal was the employers give them whatever first of its kind, but they’re supposed to.” as the years passed and economic and social conditions morphed, a new deal was required, upon their agreement. once again, to be agreed upon. In “We are amazingly happy with December 2016, the ISSA returned what we got,” exclaims Caldwell, to negotiations with IRTA in order to as he considers the new pay deal. establish a better pay deal for stable “The current pay deal is until staff around Ireland. June 2019. But if there’s any major The new pay terms agreed upon increases in the national wage by the two parties saw the minimum agreement, we can go back to wage for stable staff rising from renegotiate again - that’s part of €9.75 per hour to €10.75 per hour, the agreement.”
| MAGAZINE 2017 |
Rights “
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| BALLYLINCH STUD |
| MAGAZINE 2017 |
Equine EMPIRE
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| BALLYLINCH STUD |
wo years on from Ballylinch Stud’s sale to US media tycoon John Malone, the farm’s stallion roster has reached peak levels. The addition of dual Group 1 winner Fascinating Rock and French Derby winner New Bay takes the stable of sires to eight, seven of them standing for five figure sums, six boasting Classic wins, and Lope De Vega already holding a champion sire title. “Six was the most we’ve ever had and eight is our limit at the minute,” O’Connor reveals. “We don’t have ambitions to make it bigger than that at this point, it’s a question of trying to get the best horses we can within that number. If a horse doesn’t succeed we’ll sell him on.” Put this line-up together anywhere in the world and it would profit. But how did it end up here? “The original racing owners of the likes of Fascinating Rock, New Bay, Lawman, Lope De Vega, Make Believe, and Dream Ahead, they’ve all stayed in the ownership of the stallion,” explains O’Connor. “It’s something that Ballylinch is able to offer people, that other studs can’t. We have a history of successfully syndicated horses where the racing owners are part of the syndicate and I think we’ve now developed a reputation of doing that well.” This is one of Ballylinch’s two key selling points. You might argue that access to unlimited amounts of land, first-class facilities, world-class
horsemen and a lifetime of dedication to the thoroughbred breed would be the main draw, but they are givens for the type of owner Ballylinch attracts — and covets. “Some farms don’t want to create syndicates and have the original racing owner involved, they want to own them all themselves,” O’Connor adds. “We have a different policy and I think it facilitates a wealthy owner who doesn’t have a stallion facility of their own but wishes to stay involved in the stallion career of a top class racehorse.” Ballylinch’s stallion business model has grown exponentially on this formula; they manage the stallions on behalf of the syndicate owners, generally including the original racing owner and always including Ballylinch. Why can they do this consistently when others cannot? Because they are a non-commercial, independentlyowned entity? “Exactly right,” O’Connor affirms. “It means then that when foals are sold by our stallions they can be bought by anybody because we are, to a certain extent, fiercely independent and we’ve made a virtue of that. People know if they’ve got a foal coming up in the sales that virtually anybody can buy it. That’s worked well for us and for our clients.” For example, Prince Faisal. He raced Invincible Spirit and Kodiac too, the pair standing at the Irish National and Tally-Ho Studs. Lucky enough to own a third superstar colt, he decided
| MAGAZINE 2017 |
THERE IS A ‘HOW TO’ BOOK ON MAKING A “FIERCELY” INDEPENDENT, 1,000-ACRE STUD FARM WILDLY SUCCESSFUL, BUT YOU’LL HAVE TO TAKE A TICKET AND GET IN LINE TO READ IT. IT’S IN KILKENNY AND IT’S FILED IN JOHN O’CONNOR’S BRAIN UNDER BALLYLINCH STUD. LUCKILY, TODAY THE LIBRARY WAS QUIET. LET’S OPEN CHAPTER 2016: WE’RE GOING TO NEED A BIGGER BOAT, JOHN. JESSICA LAMB REPORTS.
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| BALLYLINCH STUD |
| MAGAZINE 2017 |
he couldn’t let this one go. “He rated this horse very highly and wanted to stay in him,” O’Connor says, “so he has retained a sizeable share in the horse and is supporting him accordingly.” Newcomer Maurice Regan, owner of Fascinating Rock, shares the same values as Prince Faisal. “He is a real enthusiast for racing, loves it,” O’Connor smiles. “He loves this horse, and he targeted Ballylinch. “He felt [Ballylinch] was going to get the horse his best chance of succeeding at stud. We’ve bought in to him and will syndicate him amongst our existing client base — they get first choice when we only have a limited number of shares available.” He adds: “I think he’s an exciting horse that will do just as well as his sire with a bit of luck.”
That’s only Fastnet Rock — Australia’s champion sire from 2011 to 2015. Back to Ballylinch’s two key selling points, the other is what Fascinating Rock’s owner was talking about when he said the farm was his best chance of success as a sire; the broodmare band. When Tim Mahony purchased Ballylinch Stud, it came empty. The McCalmont family had built the entire farm to exalt their famed two-year-old champion, The Tetrarch, into a champion sire and, though they were ready to part ways with the property, they were not for passing on those bloodlines. Nevertheless, Mahony wanted to continue the rich breeding history of Ballylinch, so he set about beginning its new family — equine and human.
“He bought some fillies in training from Moyglare and continued to race those, and he bought four broodmares,” says O’Connor. “At that stage he decided he really needed a manager. I joined in the winter of 1988, December I think.” Mahony did not know O’Connor. In fact he did not know horses; he had actually been looking for a golf course. “He was very successful in the motor business and had formed a friendship with [golfer] Jack Nicklaus through having sponsored a charity golf competition which Nicklaus played in,” O’Connor remembers. Nicklaus wanted to build a golf course in Ireland and asked Mahony to partner with him and source the property. Right on schedule the Mount Juliet Estate came up for sale and Mahony bought it. “The Mount Juliet side of the River Nore was designated as the area they would develop the golf course, but Tim was very conscious of the great history attached to the Ballylinch Stud farm and was keen to redevelop that.” His linking up with O’Connor brought him not just his veterinary qualifications, years of bloodstock experience, and drive, but also his first stallion. O’Connor had been the vet at Baroda Stud in Newbridge. When owner Sean Doyle was killed in a riding accident, the executors made him interim manager, but the sale of the stud looked inevitable and Ballylinch Stud’s challenge drew him in. It also attracted the owners of Bob Back. He sired a classic winner from the first crop that he covered in Ballylinch, the St Leger winner Bob’s Return, and went on to sire Big Bad Bob, now hugely popular at the Irish National Stud. Though his Flat stars shone, his jumps blazed, so in 2001 O’Connor advised his owners to move him to specialist National Hunt farm Burgage Stud, where he sired his Gold Cup hero Bob’s Worth. Back at Ballylinch in 1988, there were four broodmares, several fillies
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| BALLYLINCH STUD |
These mares were the foundations of the modern Ballylinch families, their offspring so coveted that they rarely sell for less than six-figure sums — enjoyable reading for prospective stallion owners. “We will always give a stallion plenty of support from our mares in his first season, and that can be seen in launching Lope De Vega. “We bred several of his first Group winners, including Belardo, who was his first Group 1 winner. We also bred Burnt Sugar from the same crop and Very Special. We’ve done the same with Make Believe. That’s an important part of the business.” In the past two years, Ballylinch homebred yearlings have made more than €5.4million [£4.6million] at public auctions in Europe, selling to the likes of Queen Elizabeth II, Cheveley Park Stud, Hamdan Al Maktoum, Al Shaqab Racing and Godolphin. In August 2013, homebred
| MAGAZINE 2017 |
still racing, and one stallion. It was a start, but there were 1,000 acres to maintain. “I said to Tim. ‘I think the mares you have will not be sufficient to support a stud farm as big and as costly to run as Ballylinch’. You need a significant quantity and quality of bloodstock to be able to make it make sense financially, so Tim funded the purchase of a number of fillies and mares, which ultimately turned out to be the genesis of the modern Ballylinch broodmare band.” Among those were Ingabelle, who produced Eva’s Request, winner of Group races in three countries, Priory Belle, the 1995 Moyglare Stud Stakes heroine, and Danielli — dam of dual Group 1 winner Chriselliam. There was also French-bred Majinskaya [£190,000, Tattersalls, December 1997), who foaled 2002 Champion Irish two-year-old filly Danaskaya — the dam of 2016 Lockinge Stakes star Belardo — and Phoenix Stakes winner Pharoah’s Delight, who went on to breed both the dam of Breeders’ Cup Turf winner Red Rocks, and Dookus, the dam of Frankuus.
“
The original racing owners of the likes of Fascinating Rock, New Bay, Lawman, Lope De Vega, Make Believe, and Dream Ahead, they’ve all stayed in the ownership of the stallion. It’s something that Ballylinch is able to offer people, that other studs can’t.” Dubawi colt Thahab, out of Mise, was knocked down for €1million and the following October colt Linguistic sold for 650,000gns, his dam being homebred Dazzle Dancer and his sire Lope De Vega. This esteemed broodmare band that stallion owners target Ballylinch
for evolved because of Mahony’s vision and significant funding. But it will continue without him, the great mind having passed away in 2008. “Tim and I became very close,” reflects O’Connor. “He was an outstanding man to work for and a very clever business man, with great instincts and intuition for all sorts of business. Even though he never pretended he was an expert on horses, nonetheless you could admire his grasp of business and the funny thing is the same thing is true with John Malone — he is an incredibly clever business man, he’s grasped the intricacies of the bloodstock business very, very quickly and, just like Tim Mahony, is extremely supportive of his management of the stud. He lets people get on with it and is very
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| BALLYLINCH STUD |
| MAGAZINE 2017 |
“
It means then that when foals are sold by our stallions they can be bought by anybody because we are, to a certain extent, fiercely independent and we’ve made a virtue of that.”
supportive. It makes for a very easy working relationship.” Three French Derby winners, a golden broodmare band, a billionaire’s backing; today’s Ballylinch is strong and settled, but that’s not to say change is not in the offing. Nor is it unwelcome. Added to its portfolio of land is the O’Reilly family’s Castlemartin Stud, bought by Malone at the same time as Ballylinch. It was bought without stock and in need of renovations, but by the start of this winter was fully restored to its former glories and being integrated into Ballylinch’s operations. “We can use it as an adjunct to Ballylinch,” O’Connor explains. “We have some broodmares and yearling there now and can use it for isolation
too, but long-term, Castlemartin is a wonderful facility in its own right and we’ll develop a group of animals which will board at Castlemartin.” Further afield, Ballylinch could link up with Malone’s US farm Bridlewood in Florida. “Bridlewood is in a rapid expansion phase. When it was purchased it didn’t have any bloodstock, they always had a public training operation on the farm, but George Isaacs and John have been buying to develop their own broodmare band.” There will be opportunities for staff at Ballylinch to work at Bridlewood and vice versa, with breeding stock and racehorses also set to move between the two in time. “That’s an option that we have, cross pollenating between the farms, and we’ll certainly look at it. We’ve got a filly in training in America at the moment, who will probably come
back to Ballylinch when she retires, so there will certainly be some interplay between the two farm’s bloodlines to see if that works.” Having spent 25 years growing the broodmare band that birthed those bloodlines, getting the opportunity to develop them further in the US is a complex and exciting prospect for O’Connor. But it’s not a surprise. Ballylinch was born when kings valued horses over everything and it continues to maintain those standards, preserving the magic of its first incarnation as a retirement castle for The Tetrarch — his owners the McCalmonts watching on from nearby Norelands Stud Farm. In O’Connor’s own words, “It isn’t a coincidence that [Ballylinch] was picked by people who could afford to pick whatever they wanted”, and it certainly looks as if Malone will be continuing to do just that.
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The team at Punchestown look forward to welcoming you to the home of Irish jump racing and wish you a successful season. Phone: +353 (0)45 897704 ■ Email: info@punchestown.com ■ Web: www.punchestown.com
GALWAY RACES 2017 SUMMER FESTIVAL Monday 31st July (E) Tuesday 1st August (E) Wednesday 2nd August (E) Thursday 3rd August Friday 4th August (E) Saturday 5th August Sunday 6th August
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For Further details contact: Michael Moloney, Manager at (091) 753870 • Fax: (091) 752592 E-mail: information@galwayraces.com Website: www.galwayraces.com Follow us on:
14/02/2017 12:53
| TRAVEL |
Courses DUNDALK: fixtures
DATES: • January 6, 13, 20, 27 • February 3, 10, 17, 24 • March 3, 10, 16, 24, 31 • April 7, 12, 21 • May 10, 12 • July 12 • August 18 • September 22, 29 • October 6, 13, 20, 27 • November 1, 3, 8, 10, 17, 24 • December 1, 8, 15, 22
With a racing history spanning over 200 years, Dundalk houses Ireland’s only all-weather racecourse. Dundalk Stadium is a left-handed oval 10 furlong racecourse with a 5 furlong chute which, thanks to its polytrack surface and floodlights, allows races to be run all year round. The stadium was officially opened in 2007, at a location close to the original Dundalk Race Track, which was active from 1889 to 2001. The stadium offers a fine dining experience in the form of the Champions’ Restaurant, as well as possessing a number of full-service bars. There is also an owners and trainers lounge, reserved exclusively for the use of owners and trainers with a runner on the day.
An unusual place to have a bite to eat before racing is Strandfield Cafe, Florist and Grocery. Great atmosphere, always busy, brews excellent coffee or tea and the shop part sells interesting and unusual foods and some antiques. The coffee and hazelnut cake is worth driving the extra mile for!” Judy Maxwell, AIRO Council
For a luxury experience in a contemporary setting, Dundalk’s Crowne Plaza is always a favourite. If you happen to be suited to a more Edwardian experience, Innisfree House is a beautiful early 20th century townhouse offering natural comfort in relaxed traditional surroundings.
EAT: STAY:
Fifteen minutes from the racecourse lies McWilliam Park Hotel, offering a luxurious stay close to the action. For a quieter, more quaint time, try Friars Quarter House. With only four ensuite rooms available though, we would recommend you book well in advance of your trip.
BALLINROBE:
EAT:
Wilde’s Restaurant, located less than twenty minutes away from the course at The Lodge in Ashford Castle, has an exquisite menu, surpassed only by its stunning views overlooking the waters of Lough Corrib.
DRINK:
For a fine selection of craft beers, a pint of Guinness and a touch of Hollywood glamour, head to the newly reopened Pat Cohans Bar – which most notably featured in John Wayne classic The Quiet Man.
TRY:
Nip into Ballinrobe for a visit to Devour Bakery, where you’ll find a truly mouth-watering strawberry eclair awaiting you.
Visit K C Blakes, Galway City, for delicious seafood. The sea trout is highly recommended.” Michael Flannery, Trainer
DATES: • May 2, 29, 30 • June 27 • July 24, 25 • August 14, 29 • September 21
True to the West of Ireland’s famously laid-back reputation, the Ballinrobe Races offers punters the opportunity to relax and unwind in a beautiful setting in a tranquil corner of the world, while also enjoying the inherent thrill that accompanies any day at the races. Race meetings have been recorded in Ballinrobe since 1773, and the present course has been operating since 1921, perhaps explaining the breezy and jovial atmosphere that feels such a natural and integral part of the place. Hosting both flat and National Hunt racing, Ballinrobe prides itself on its appeal to all ages, and makes for a perfect, relaxed family day out.
Riva Brasserie offers gorgeous breakfast and lunch menus, and for dinner, why not embrace the flavours of the Mediterranean by dining at Eno? With its original roots based within Italian cuisine, the restaurant has since embraced other food cultures, in particular Spanish and Moroccan.
| MAGAZINE 2017 |
STAY:
DRINK:
With everything you need to know contained within the name, the Jockeys Bar is a clear winner amongst punters. If wine is on the cards, head to The Lisdoo or the Windsor for a great selection.
TRY:
Fitzpatrick’s Bar and Restaurant’s chowder is among the best in Ireland, and they can back it up with their 2014 title of All Ireland Chowder Champion.
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| TRAVEL |
SLIGO:
DATES: • April 30 • May 22 • June 20 • July 16 • August 9, 10, 22• September 27
Regarded as one of the most picturesque racecourses in Ireland, Sligo Racecourse has been active at its current location since 1955, and plans are in place to further develop upon the existing facilities. A number of upgrades are envisaged for the course, including a new two-storey hospitality building overlooking the parade ring and track. Back in 2015, the Sligo Races had a couple of Royal Visitors in Prince Charles and Camilla the Duchess of Cornwall. In the weeks that followed, it became known that the Duchess of Cornwall purchased Mollyanna, the horse who had won the race at Sligo at the time of the couple’s visit.
The Diamond Coast is a fine spot in Enniscrone Hotel. You have a three mile beach at the back door, you have a golf course. You have everything you’d want.”
STAY:
| MAGAZINE 2017 |
Situated along the Wild Atlantic Way and based within quiet parklands, the Sligo Park Hotel is surrounded by some of the most scenic countryside in Ireland, with rooms offering views of the parkland gardens, the surrounding town or the distant countryside.
EAT:
Fintan Feeney, Trainer
DOWN ROYAL:
Eala Bhán offers a phenomenal steak, and the pan fried seabass is second to none. The restaurant’s name, which is gaelic for “White Swan”, is quite apt, as the beautiful birds can often be seen from the main windows of the restuarant.
DRINK:
Offering the finest selction of wines, beers and whiskeys in the traditional setting of a building built in 1864, Hargadon Bros is a charming place with a huge emphasis upon the quality of the products they serve.
TRY:
The house wines at Hargadon Bros come from their own vineyard in Savignargues in Southern France, and are definitely worth a taste.
The Plough Inn in Hilsborough for great food and atmosphere.” Brian Polly, Chairman AIRO
DATES: • January 31 • March 17 • May 1, 26 • June 23, 24 • July 28 • September 1, 8, 26 • November 3, 4 Straddling the line between the modern and traditional, Down Royal Racecourse has embedded itself within the very culture of its surrounding area. With a history dating back to the 17th century, Down Royal has consistently provided punters with a refined day out at the races throughout the decades. The Moscow Flyer Suite is now hosting Taste @downroyal, a new hospitality offering which incorporates the best of Northern Irish produce along with the thrilling experience of being at the races. Plans are in place to further build upon the course’s rich history, with developments set to commence in early 2017.
STAY:
With an air of tranquility to help you unwind after the thrills of the races, Lisnacurran Country House sits in the Co Down countryside and offers its visitors a genuinely charming country experience.
EAT:
Gowdy’s of Down Royal is the perfect place to dine for race-going families. With a wonderful menu and a children’s play area that includes 2 bouncy castles, a football net, swings and a life-sized chess board, Gowdy’s has something for all ages.
DRINK:
The Speckled Hen in nearby Lisburn has such a vast array of drinks on offer that you’re bound to discover the perfect wine, beer, cider or spirit to suit you.
TRY:
Pop into Ashvale Farm Shop for some afternoon tea and enjoy the sandwiches, scones and pastries that they have on offer that day.
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| TRAVEL |
GOWRAN PARK:
DATES: • January 26 • February 18 • March 11 • April 30 • May 24 • June 5, 24, 25 • July 4, 22 • August 16 • September 6, 16, 29, 30 • October 11• November 25
Gowran Park is situated close to many famed training and breeding establishments in the heart of County Kilkenny, and boasts the highest quality facilities, as well as a wonderfully scenic setting. It is an oval right-handed track with a circuit of around a mile and a half. Although there are some undulations, the track is essentially galloping in character and on soft ground can provide a thorough test of stamina. With race days spread evenly throughout the year, the Thyestes Chase is the most valuable event that takes place at Gowran Park, with many of its horses going on to run in the Grand National.
Kevin O’Donnell, Trainer
STAY:
With the beach just a short stroll away on one side, and the racecourse a few minutes up the road on the other, the Majestic Hotel is an ideal spot to book into. If you’re looking for somewhere in Waterford city, the Granville Hotel provides a luxury stay overlooking the beautiful waterfront.
TRAMORE:
DATES: • April 9, 10 • June 2, 3 • August 17, 18, 19, 20 • October 5 • December 14
Tramore Racecourse is a Grade 2 racecourse, noted for its tight, right-handed, undulating track with one mile circuit. The highlight of Tramore’s year is the four-day festival which takes place each year in the middle of August. Large crowds attend the festival, experiencing the thrill of the races while enjoying the exquisite view of Tramore Strand.
EAT:
The Vee Bistro serves quality dishes from from morning to night, and The Copper Hen has received a mention in the Irish Michelin Guide.
DRINK:
For a genuine experience in a local bar, head to Robinson’s. Locally known as “Sadie’s”, this pub has been owned by the same family since 1926, and offers a sense of history and tradition that few can match.
TRY:
Take a spin into Waterford to track down a true Irish delicacy – blaa. Kilmacow Bakery, Walsh’s Bakehouse and Hickey’s Bakery are among the very few bakeries in Ireland producing this rare bread. An opportunity not to be missed...
STAY:
Lyrath Estate offers five-star luxury on a beautiful site just over ten minutes away from the racecourse. If you fancy staying within Kilkenny City, check into one of the Kilkenny Castle View Rooms at the Pembroke.
| MAGAZINE 2017 |
No matter what direction you go from Gowran there’s always a nice restaurant within ten or fifteen miles. In Kilkenny then you have umpteen choices of lovely restaurants, like Langton’s. There’s some lovely restaurants all around.”
EAT:
If French cuisine is your thing, then Campagne has to be experienced. The Kilkenny-based restaurant boasts a Michelin Star, as well as a host of other prestigious awards.
DRINK:
The Dylan Whiskey Bar at the heart of Kilkenny City offers a wide range of whiskeys, craft beers and cocktails for its patrons to enjoy, while the Field Bar provides a great atmosphere with plenty of local entertainment.
TRY:
For drink and food, the best place I’d say is O’Neill’s bar. They sponsor races and they do very good food. You have the whole lot there, you have the drinking and the good food.” P.T. Flavin, Trainer
The Dylan Whiskey Bar offers whiskey tasting for €20. Explore their offerings and decide upon your own personal favourite.
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Irish Stallion Farms will have contributed over €42 million to Irish prizemoney through the European Breeders’ Fund since 1983.
Irish Racing’s Largest Sponsor.
€2 million for 2017 race sponsorship
Support for €100,000 2yo Auction Series
Supports both Flat & NH races
Over 380 races sponsored each year
TRAINING FOR CAREERS IN THE HORSE RACING INDUSTRY
IRISh EuRoPEan BREEdERS’ Fund Greenhills, Kill, Naas, Co. Kildare, W91 FY62 Contact: Nessa Joyce Mob: 00 353 85 7590970 Ph: 00 353 45 910 999 Fax: 00 353 45 910 998
Email: iebf@eircom.net
@IrishEBF www.ebfstallions.com
www.racingacademy.ie • Tel: +353 45 522468 Email: enquiries@racingacademy.ie Curragh House, Dublin Road, Kildare Town, Co. Kildare, Republic of Ireland
Irish Racehorse Owners Mag Ad - 130 x 88 mm - Nov 15 2016.indd 1
15/11/2016 23:33:44
Ballinrobe Racecourse
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“On behalf of all the team at Tramore Racecourse, we wish you every success with your horses. Many people retain great memories of a win at our seaside venue and we recognise that there is nothing more special than leading your horse into the Winner’s Enclosure, so we will endeavour to make your day as special as possible” - Sue Phelan, General Manager
Gourmet Meal ➤ Reserved table for the day ➤ Tote betting facilities ➤ Privacy assured ➤ Full Bar Facilities
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www.tramore-racecourse.com
14/02/2017 13:01
| RETRAINING RACEHORSES |
A
Second Ride
WHETHER THROUGH INJURY OR AGE, RETIREMENT IS A NECESSARY EVENTUALITY FOR BOTH CHAMPION AND AMATEUR RACEHORSE ALIKE. FOR THEIR OWNERS, THIS ISN’T A COMMODITY THAT’S DEPRECIATED IN VALUE, BUT RATHER A CHERISHED MEMBER OF THE FAMILY. SO THE QUESTION BEGS, ONCE THEIR RACING DAYS HAVE COME TO AN END, HOW DO THESE SEASONED ATHLETES LIVE OUT THEIR DAYS?
F
rom their life’s conception thoroughbred racehorses have been trained to compete, excel and triumph. For some of the most celebrated names in the racing world, life off the track consists of a lengthy and relaxing retirement, whether privately stabled or rehomed in institutions such as the Irish National Stud. The lucky few, whose owners possess the means to keep them in comfort, frequently remain stabled close by. This is the case for champion racers like Istabraq, Butler’s Cabin and Baracouda the prized champions of Irish entrepreneur and popular racehorse enthusiast JP MacManus. These racehorses, having championed the track in their younger days, are indulging in a serene retreat from the racing world in JP’s Martinstown Stud in Co. Kildare. For champions who aren’t stabled with owners, there are organisations who endeavour to offer a comfortable retirement. One such organisation is Ireland’s National Stud, who dedicatedly run the ex-racehorse Living Legends programme. The Living Legends programme houses six retired racehorses Beef
| MAGAZINE 2017 |
of Life
or Salmon, Moscow Flyer, Hardy Eustace, Hurricane Fly, Kicking King and Rite of Passage. “Well they’ve all been into their teenage years, after which they lose their competitive edge on the track. We tend to focus on the celebrities who’ve achieved a fair bit of fame so that visitors can relate to them a little bit.” Says John Osbourne, CEO of the Irish National Stud. Training days have long ceased for the members of the Living Legends programme and, while some have entered competitions before arriving at the stud, they no longer compete or race in any discipline. The daily routine of the legends is mainly sedentary, consisting of long periods of grazing and gentle exercise if needed. “They’re beyond athletic performance really so their galloping days are over but that doesn’t mean that they don’t have something to offer us. They all have their own personalities and their own character.” Says John. For the National Stud, a significant purpose of the Living Legends programme is to provide the general public with a deeper understanding of the ethical issues surrounding the retirement of racehorses. Essentially, the legends tell the post-retirement story of
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| RETRAINING RACEHORSES |
a champion racehorse. “It’s a sensitive subject because not all horses achieve celebrity status,” says John. “So we try not to duck the awkward questions, we do try and defend the deal that the human makes with the horse. The deal is that in return for a few hours of strenuous all out exertion in the spotlight, the horse is lavished with a lifestyle which would be the envy of 90 per cent of the human population.” Part of the service the Living Legends programme offers, is relaying to visitors, many of whom are new to racing but express an interest in welfare issues, the high level of care and respect that these racehorses are inundated with by the racing industry. John says, “I think people leave the stud with a firmer grasp that the deal is a fair one, that the horse is the winner and that we’re lucky to be surrounded by them.” The National Stud strives to
Legends program is a significant attraction, it’s only a fraction of the work that the stud undertakes. John explains, “What we can do is promote the concept that there’s a responsibility upon us all that, it’s like puppies aren’t just for Christmas, and racehorses are not just for their glory days. There’s a duty of care that we must undertake as well. I suppose everyone needs to do their bit.”
| MAGAZINE 2017 |
RETRAINING Yet, some ex-racehorses still have the active abilities to re-enter the competitive arena. With the greater risk of injury, a career in competitive racing is certainly out of bounds. However, in recent years a number of classes have been developed for exracehorses who still wish to compete. While in the past ex-racehorses had a reputation for having high-spirited personalities, these classes, named What we can do is promote the Racehorse to Riding Horse, have proven concept that there’s a responsibility that racehorses can upon us all that, it’s like puppies be skilfully retrained aren’t just for Christmas, and and remain champion racehorses are not just for their glory athletes, even after days. There’s a duty of care that we their initial career has must undertake as well.” concluded. “People often underestimate the ex-racer seeing it highlight this agreement and as a fairly hyper animal nothing could promote organisations, such as the be further from the truth.” Says Julie Irish Horse Welfare Trust (IHWT), Morris, founder of Racehorse to Riding that work to achieve high standards Horse. of horse welfare. One member of the In 2011 Julie set up a programme Living Legends programme, Moscow aimed at encouraging the industry to Flyer, came to the National Stud recognise the continuing value of e through the IHWT and the stud racehorses. She currently acts as an promotes the organisation’s work agent for rehoming ex-racehorses, through his presence in the programme. who are suited towards further “We’re also very sensitive and conscious competition and has rehomed 55 of the deal we strike with the horse. We ex-racehorses in the last year alone. all have a responsibility to make sure “Although we do not physically take in they don’t fall into neglect and that they racehorses for retraining or rehoming are cared for and looked after to high we act as agents for owners to rehome standards. I think that’s borne out by the with individuals who are looking for an visit here.” ex-racehorse.” Says Julie. “Racehorse Unfortunately, the only constraint to Ridinghorse Ireland is open to all on the program is space and availability. horses who have raced in point to The National Stud has covered 680 point or track, national hunt or Flat.” mares this year alone. While the Living From organisations such as this,
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disciplined racehorses have found new homes and further fame off the track. One ex-racehorse who has flourished in this new career is Forpadydeplasterer. Well known for his triumphs on the track, he counts a 2008 win of the Deliotte Novice Hurdle in Leopardstown and the Arkle Challenge Trophy the following year at The Cheltenham Festival amongst his wins. Having also finished second in sixteen races against top competition, he amassed immense popularity with the racing community. More recently, he’s found a new lease of life with trainer Joanne Quirke and has been successfully competing in Racehorse to Riding Horse classes. When it comes to the initial training of an ex-racehorse Joanne believes much of the process involves breaking the animal out of their regimental routine, a time consuming task which shouldn’t be rushed. She says, “Some of them get it much quicker but they’re adapting to a whole new lifestyle. For Forpadydeplasterer, he took to it very quickly, he just liked that slower pace of life and it suited him.” Most ex-racehorse adapt well to their new disciplines and once the process isn’t hurried, the results are exceptional for both horse and rider. Joanne explains, “You’re starting from the start again so you can’t expect to just throw a saddle up and go and ride around in a shape and go by the crowds. So it’s just a slow process but they do take to it and they get a lot of fun out of it.” For many industry professionals, the main factor in retraining is temperament. Some ex-racehorses, while possessing the physical skill to compete in these classes, aren’t suited to the dramatic change in environment that accompanies a Racehorse to Riding Horse class. Joanne explains, “They may be more suited to leading out youngsters and that sort of thing or some of them will adapt to going show jumping and eventing.” However, temperament clearly wasn’t a concerning factor for the duo at this year’s Dublin Horse Show, who, after keeping a cool head on the day, earned first place in the Racehorse to Riding
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Horse class. Classes like these have become increasingly popular in recent years thanks to organisations like the IHWT and Irish Thoroughbred Market and have continuously displayed the still impressive talents of these stunning athletes. Joanne says, “Having these classes is an amazing showcase for them and the IHWT is doing a great job this year with their new showing series to promote them because they do finish racing, and they’re very versatile and they’re very adaptable,” says Joanne. “People should take a chance and get a bit of advice if they’re going to take one on and they’ll have great fun with them.” Another ex-racehorse excelling in the Racehorse to Riding Horse class is Glantara. In his racing career Glantara teamed up with jockeys like Andrew McNamara, Paul Carberry and even Ruby Walsh after he suffered his spleen injury in 2008. In the past this ex-racehorse hadn’t experienced the most high profile career. Yet, his new vocation has certainly garnered him numerous wins. “He was unbeaten last year.” Says rider, Lois Chappell. “We retired him in the May and we brought him to our local show and he won the Racehorse to Riding Horse class there.”
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You’re starting from the start again so you can’t expect to just throw a saddle up and go and ride around in a shape and go by the crowds. So it’s just a slow process but they do take to it and they get a lot of fun out of it.”
Lois endorses the belief that personality can greatly affect how a horse takes to being retrained. However, another major indicator for her is how a horse was broken during his initial training. She says, “How they were broken is a big aspect of it. On John Kiely’s farm he gets babies coming in and you can tell some of them haven’t been broken great while others that have been broken properly and it really stands to them.” While some racehorses, either through injury or poor temperament, fail to be retrained, Lois feels that the intelligence of the thoroughbred horse is worth of the risk. She says, “The thoroughbreds are very quick to learn, I find. You can have a bad day of schooling but it’s probably your fault not theirs.” While Glantara’s racing career has left him with several minor reoccurring injuries, namely damage to one of his
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| RETRAINING RACEHORSES |
legs and a tendency to bleed heavily, this still didn’t prevent him from competing admirably at this year’s Dublin Horse Show, in which he placed 5th. Across Ireland the Racehorse to Riding Horse class is growing in popularity as members of the industry and spectators alike are thrilled to witness these athletes embrace their versatility off the racetrack. To highlight the burgeoning status of these competitions, the 2016 Dublin Horse Show enlisted former jockey AP McCoy as a judge in the Racehorse to Riding Horse class, that consisted of a Gold Cup winner, an Arkle winner, alongside both Glantara and Forpadydeplasterer. Whether these ex-racehorses enter a life of retirement or retraining, one sentiment is abundantly clear among the racing community, there’s still life in these not so old horses yet.
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IN LIGHT OF THE LINGERING DEBATE OVER WHETHER RACEHORSES SHOULD HAVE WIND OPERATIONS DECLARED WHEN RACING, IT IS FITTING TO REVIEW THIS SUBJECT AND EXPLORE SOME OF THESE ISSUES FROM A VETERINARIANS PERSPECTIVE. CLAIRE HAWKES, EUROPEAN VETINARY SPECIALIST IN EQUINE SURGERY, WRITES.
I
t is commonly understood that different horses have varying levels of ability and talent. Therefore, making a straightforward comparison in this area is difficult. The same can be said in relation to ‘wind ops’. Unfortunately, not all were created equal and not all will have the same effect on each individual animal.
During intense exercise, the oxygen demands of skeletal muscle increase tremendously to enable 450+ kgs of horse to travel at over 56 km/ hr. A resting horse has a respiratory rate of 12 breaths per minute and would breathe a total of 60 litres of air per minute. Compare this to a racehorse under race conditions
where his respiratory rate (which is in time with his stride at gallop) increases to 120 breaths per minute and exchanges up to 1,800 litres per minute. Understanding the logistics of getting this much air in and out of the lungs, through what is essentially a non-rigid narrow tube (the upper airways) can give us an insight into why and where horses can experience respiratory issues. Unlike humans, the horse is an obligate nasal breather, which essentially means he breathes only through his nasal passage. People (and many other animals including dogs) are able to breath effectively both through their nose and their mouth. The structure that makes the horse an obligate nasal breather is the soft palate. The soft palate forms a temporary seal with the larynx (voice box) during respiration and serves to separate the oral and nasal cavities During swallowing the soft palate lifts up to allow the food bolus to travel over the top of the larynx and into the oesophagus (food pipe). The larynx functions as the ‘guardian’ of the trachea- closing when this food bolus is in the process of being swallowed and remaining open when the horse is breathing. When the respiratory demands are increased, the larynx needs to open maximally to allow efficient passage of air. Vocalisation or neighing, are elicited by closure of the larynx during expiration and vibration of the vocal cords. There are four main structures of the larynx that are of concern to the racehorse owner and trainer; the paired arytenoids, vocal folds and ventricles, aryepiglottic folds and the epiglottis. The larynx is made up of a cartilage skeleton, numerous muscles and folds of mucosal covered connective tissue whilst the soft palate, as the name implies, has no rigid support and is essentially made up of paired muscles and connective tissue covered by mucosa. Taking into consideration that these two structures have limited rigid support, it is no surprise that they are the ‘weak’ points in the upper
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Wind
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respiratory tract and are sites of airway obstruction when under the extreme fluctuations of air pressure experienced during intense exercise. Traditionally, definitive diagnosis of upper airway obstructions was limited to treadmill examinations with the remainder of cases diagnosed on resting findings and educated guesswork. The introduction in the last ten years of dynamic endoscopy systems, where the animal is exercised under saddle, whilst wearing an endoscope to visualise and record the larynx and soft palate during intense exercise, has made accurate diagnoses readily accessible. These systems are often used in combination with GPS(speed and distance data) and ECG (heart activity) monitoring to give a more thorough investigation of what could be behind the animals poor performance. So what do we
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Compare this to a racehorse under race conditions where his respiratory rate (which is in time with his stride at gallop) increases to 120 breaths per minute and exchanges up to 1,800 litres per minute.”
commonly see on these examinations? Respiratory conditions would be the most commonly diagnosed cause of poor performance in the racehorse. Thankfully heart conditions are rare with an approximate ratio of 75 respiratory related cases for every one heart related case. The table below gives a brief overview of the commonly diagnosed respiratory obstructions and their treatments. Some horses unfortunately can experience multiple airway obstructions simultaneously, and may require multiple interventions.
AIRWAY OBSTRUCTION
WHY DOES THIS OCCUR
SEVERITY OF OBSTRUCTION
TREATMENT
Whistle = Vocal fold prolapse
– Low grade laryngeal neuropathy (paralysis)- results in laxity of usually the left vocal fold – less commonly right sided
Mild to moderate (when occurring bilaterally)
Hobday- removes the affected vocal fold(s) and both ventricles. Either open approach or transedoscopic laser
Good
Roarer = Artenoid Collapse
Laryngeal neuropathy- the muscle controlling abduction (opening) of the larynx is wasted and no longer functional at exercise
Moderate usually progressing to severe (complete airway obstruction at maximal inspiratory pressure)
Laryngeal tie-back (usually performed in conjunction with a hobday)
When they work, they’re great. When they don’tyour racehorse is in trouble. 50-70% success rate. The procedure is associated with varied complications.
Axial deviation of the aryepiglottic folds (can be whistle/roaring noise)
The tissue between the arytenoid and the epiglottis gets drawn across the laryngeal lumen during maximal inspiration. This can occur independently or secondary to palatal instability
Depends on the degree of deviation- can be mild to severe
Resection of the aryepiglottic foldperformed either by transendoscopic laser or via an open approach (laryngotomy)
Good
Gurgling/choking = Palatal dysfunction (instability and/or dorsal displacement of the soft palate
Most likely numerous reasons – neuromuscular dysfunction of the soft palate, caudal retraction of the larynx.
Variable with palatal instability. Marked with dorsal displacement.
Numerousincluding conservative measures (rest, medication, crossover noseband, tongue ties), palatal thermocautery, surgery including laryngeal tie-forward, sternothyroid tenectomy, staphylectomy, laser palatoplasty
Variable and depending on technique 30-85% success rate
Whilst, in the ideal world, all racehorses would have perfect respiratory function, it is an unfortunate fact that many do not. When entering into conversations over whether intervening in such cases is warranted, it is important to have a thorough understanding of all issues surrounding this. It is a welfare issue to make an animal run when he cannot sufficiently ventilate himself, yet this animal is owned and maintained to be a racehorse. Every coin has two sides and there are multiple issues to explore. However, there are some facts that are indisputable; (a) doing
SUCCESS RATE
a wind operation does not make the animal any better than an animal with a fully functional upper airway, and (b) there is no benefit in intervening with an animal whose upper airway function is normal. At the end of the day, surgical intervention may give the animal the chance to perform on a par with horses who don’t have a wind problem, but it does not give them any advantage over these horses. Unlike red bull, surgical intervention does not give your horse wings, just the ability to power what engine he has (and engine capacity unfortunately varies!).
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| JOCKEY VALETS |
the
LIKE MOST ASPECTS OF RACING, BEING JOCKEY VALET, IT APPEARS, IS ALL IN THE BLOOD. FOR PAUL FOX, THE SON OF WELL RESPECTED JOCKEY VALET, DAVID FOX, THIS IS CERTAINLY THE CASE. AFTER A LIFE SPENT IN THE RACING INDUSTRY, HE’S GIVING AIRO A GLIMPSE OF RACE DAY BEHIND THE STARTING GATE.
Jane Matthews
Gate
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| JOCKEY VALETS |
| MAGAZINE 2017 |
weighing out. Then once that’s done they’ll come back in here, they’ve got maybe ten minutes to relax then tie their caps up and go back out.” If there’s any delay in the schedule, from stalls malfunctioning or incorrect weights, this window of time n a typical working day a jockey to prepare for the upcoming valet will arrive at the racecourse race becomes shorter or approximately three hours before the non-existent. Paul explains, beginning of the first race and end “Everything falls back on us three hours after the last finishes. at the end of the day because This time is needed to prepare jockeys we’re the ones with the saddles, gear, colours and set up the weighing we’re the ones with the lead and room, which will essentially become we must have the jockeys right their home for the day. “They spend before they go to the clerk of their whole day here, they don’t move the scales. It’s up to us to get it out of here bar the race. It’s kind right and we have to be quick. of their inner sanctum. Nobody is It’s tough but it’s good fun in allowed in here bar the jockeys and fairness.” ourselves,” says Paul. In summer the carousel of When they arrive at the stadium, racing festivals means gear must be packed up at the end of It’s organised chaos for want of a each race day, taken home and better word. For about five to ten dried off overnight, minutes after the race it’ll just be which often leads bedlam in here so we’ll have jockeys to longer hours for coming in pulling off colours, putting Paul. With a higher focus on style in flat on new colours, getting their weights racing, he believes checked, getting themselves organised it’s unacceptable for the next race, weighing out.” for jockeys and their colours to be anything less than a jockey valet isn’t just preparing immaculate. Therefore jockey valets for the first race of the day. Instead have to be strict with their standards. they’re thinking head to the second He explains, “Dad has always had or third or eighth race, making sure the view that these guys are going each jockey has their colours lined out sitting on horses that are worth up according to their race schedule. millions. They have to look a million However, the real work is in between dollars themselves. They can’t looking races, where valets like Paul and in bits and falling apart.” Nuggy have to transition jockeys, Paul believes that a jockey valet, by their gear and saddles from one race successfully carrying out their duties, to another, quickly and efficiently. can relieve a portion of the pressure “It’s organised chaos for want of a mounted on a jockey. By ensuring better word,” says Paul. “For about colours, equipment and weights are five to ten minutes after the race it’ll all correct and up to scratch, the only just be bedlam in here so we’ll have factor a jockey will have to focus on jockeys coming in pulling off colours, is racing. “Ideally if you asked us what putting on new colours, getting their is our job? Our job is to take away weights checked, getting themselves the thoughts of the jockeys, that all organised for the next race and they really have to worry about is
“
riding a horse, everything else is our problem,” says Paul. “We have to make sure everything else is right. We look after their equipment, we clean it, we maintain it, we check it for defects, we report defects back and replace stuff as required. All he has to focus on then is riding in the race. If we’ve done that then we’ve done our job because that’s all he has to worry about.” Being involved in the racing community his whole life, Paul has had the opportunity to interact with the racing industry on personal level, giving him added insight to their way of thinking. By knowing the habits, preferences and, most of all, superstitions, of those in the weigh room, he has been able to arrange the space with ease and efficiency. “No matter what racecourse you go to in Ireland, they’ll all sit in roughly the same place. They’re a very superstitious group, they really are. Superstition plays a huge part in what they do and how they perform on the day,” explains Paul. “So if I move him
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somewhere else and he has a bad day it’ll be because I moved him or if we changed some part of his saddles or we gave him new colours, not just because it was a bad day. There’s all these little small things.” For Paul, the most enjoyable part of his job is being behind the scenes in the weigh room when jockeys are relieving the pressure of the job, usually by indulging in pranks, turning one another’s bags inside out or cutting up clothing. He recalls an
incident where John Egan made a rather uncomfortable journey through airport security with just the remains of his shirt collar and cuffs, all thanks to his racing colleagues. Paul attributes these moment to a jockey’s need to decompress after the pressures of racing and confesses that he too is not above taking part. “A few years ago, Declan Bates was riding and he was annoying me, so I glued his shoes to the floor. I left them there all day and when he went to get them he couldn’t get them up. Eventually he ripped them off the floor and brought up two
lumps of the floor with it. He had to drive home with bits of the floor stuck to his shoes.” says Paul gleefully. “He didn’t forgive me for that one for a long long time.” In the days where his father David began Fox Valeting Services, the racing industry would have been directed towards the gentry, according to Paul. Now however he feels the industry has a noticeably more professional feel to it. He notes that the job of a jockey valet has become easier in recent years thanks to modern equipment, but maintains that the basics of the role remain the same and for him, everything that happens in a racecourse, still begins in the weigh room. He says, “In order for a horse to win everything has to click into place. Regardless of how good the horse is. If we get it wrong or something goes wrong, it’s going to have a knock on effect. Our attitude is the jockey, his job is to ride the horse, he shouldn’t have to worry anything else.”
| MAGAZINE 2017 |
Jane Matthews
| JOCKEY VALETS |
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| PUNCHESTOWN HISTORY |
Progressive
Diplomacy AN INVITATION TO MEET A MEET A FORMER TAOISEACH SWIFTLY LED TO A HISTORY LESSON ON HOW THE DIPLOMATIC HANDLING OF A POLITICALLY SENSITIVE ISSUE SHAPED THE FUTURE OF PUNCHESTOWN RACECOURSE, WRITES DAVID MONGEY.
| MAGAZINE 2017 |
O
n a November morning before racing at Punchestown in 2014, I was asked if I would go to the office and meet with former Taoiseach and Leader of Fine Gael, Liam Cosgrave, who is an avid supporter of horse racing and a regular visitor to Punchestown. Born in 1920 when the War of Independence was raging, Liam is a son of WT Cosgrave who was president of the Executive Council at the foundation of the Irish independent state. Liam was on a mission! “Did you ever hear of Thomas Ashe?” was his opening question “The same Thomas Ashe was commanding officer of the Volunteers in 1916, and who later had died in Mountjoy Prison” was my response “He was murdered,” was his quick retort. I now knew I was about to receive a history lesson.
Thomas Ashe was a leading member of the Irish Volunteers and a prominent figure in the Easter Rising of 1916, after which he was arrested, court marshalled and sentenced to death. That sentence was later commuted to life imprisonment. He was released as part of a general amnesty in June 1917. He became very active once again in the independence movement and was re-arrested for incitement and sent back to Mountjoy jail in July 1917. He, and his fellow republican inmates, demanded prisoner of war status, which included the right to wear their army clothes and freely associate with fellow republican prisoners. The authorities refused the demand. Ashe and six fellow prisoners went on hunger strike. Thomas, subsequently, died of heart and lung failure as a result of force-feeding on September 25th 1917. WT Cosgrave and Michael Collins secured the services of Tim Healy MP and later first Governor General of Ireland and a regular at Punchestown, and asked him to represent the Ashe family at the inquest. Healy secured a verdict of negligence against the British government. Thomas Ashe’s body laid in state at Dublin City Hall and his death had a striking effect on the attitude of the
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| PUNCHESTOWN HISTORY |
“
It was a very brave and bold decision by the Kildare Hunt Club to appoint a person of the calibre of General Mahon, who had bridged the gap between the old and the new and who oversaw and achieved progress in this organisation which was rich in tradition of the old order.”
Irish people towards the Crown forces and British rule in Ireland. The commanding officer of British Army forces in Ireland at that time was General Sir Bryan Mahon, originally from Ahascragh in Co Galway. He succeeded General John Maxwell, the man who was responsible for the execution of the leaders of the 1916 Rising. Bryan had many military adventures with the Irish Hussars that brought him to India, Kartoum, Serbia, Salonika and many more parts of the then British Empire. The young Michael Collins gave the graveside oration, flanked by Irish volunteers and a funeral cortege of over 30,000. In his oration, in both Irish and English, Collins simply said: “Nothing additional remains to be said. That volley which we have just heard is the only speech which is proper to make above the grave of a dead Fenian.” General Mahon was given direct orders to prevent the funeral from happening by his superiors in London. WT Cosgrave, Liam’s father, who was Chairman
| MAGAZINE 2017 |
of the Finance Committee of Dublin Corporation understood and recognised the potential of riotous behaviour from the public. He feared bloodshed so soon after the Rising and tried to persuade Mahon to keep all troops to barracks. Mahon took Cosgrave’s advice and disobeyed orders, and Ashe’s funeral passed off without incident. After the Treaty settlement, Mahon accepted President Cosgrave’s invitation to become one of the first members of the Senate. No doubt his actions at Thomas Ashe’s funeral were remembered. Having thrown in his lot with the new State, he became an important influence in restoring the amenities of life in Ireland through the revival of sport, and an example to the gentry in helping rebuild a new Ireland. In 1925, General Sir Bryan Mahon became manager of Punchestown and under his stewardship many improvements were made. It was a very brave and bold decision by the
Kildare Hunt Club to appoint a person of the calibre of General Mahon, who had bridged the gap between the old and the new and who oversaw and achieved progress in this organisation which was rich in tradition of the old order. General Sir Bryan Mahon died in September 1930 and was buried where he had lived for a time — in Mullaboden, a few miles from Punchestown. On the occasion of Liam Cosgrave’s visit to Punchestown, which I alluded to at the outset, his mission was to visit Bryan Mahon’s grave. This eloquently demonstrates the impression made on a young child of General Mahon’s role in the new Irish state — a view that can only have been transmitted to one so young at that stage by his father, WT Cosgrave’s views on General Mahon’s contribution to the new Ireland. It is an important fact in life to remember the legacies of our past; for in order to know where we are going we need to remember where we came from. I would like to thank Liam for his visit that day and for sharing that remarkable story.
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| WINE |
CHAMPAGNE BILLECART SALMON
On the
Grape Vine | MAGAZINE 2017 |
JAMES NICHOLSON IS A WINE CONNOISSEUR WITH OVER 35 YEARS EXPERIENCE SOURCING, TASTING AND BUYING WINE TO SUPPLY SOME OF THE COUNTRY’S BEST RESTAURANTS AND LATTERLY TO PRIVATE CUSTOMERS. HERE HE GIVE’S SOME INSIDE TIPS ON HOW TO GET THE MOST OUT OF YOUR WINE AND SUGGESTS SOME INTERESTING OPTIONS FOR RACING ENTHUSIASTS.
GET TO KNOW GRAPE VARIETIES AND REGIONS RATHER THAN BRAND NAMES,
WHICH ARE OFTEN MADE UP BY MARKETING PEOPLE AND PRODUCED IN BULK WITH THE OBJECTIVE OF BEING CONSISTENT. LOOK OUT FOR NEW GRAPE VARIETIES AND BLENDS THAT OFFER SOMETHING NEW AND INTERESTING.
£36.50 / €53.50
One of Champagne’s top producers, now in the 6th generation of the Billecart Salmon, they are regular sponsors at the Down Royal festival weekend. So it’s just the bottle to have to hand for your next winner. A blend of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay it contains a good level of reserve wine, which gives the champagne wonderful depth.
JN SPARKLING £11.99 / €22.99
Produced from one of the top family owned companies in Samur, Loire Valley, Bouvet Ladubay. Made entirely with Chenin Blanc, a wonderful alternative to champagne and easier on the pocket. This sparkler has a lovely richness and lots of ripe apple and white floral flavours with a hint of honey – yum.
Hints and tips
for buying and enjoying wine
Re-visit the South of France and Spain when choosing easy drinking whites and great value reds.
PROSECCO RUSTICO, NINO FRANCO
£18.75 / €30.50 Forget prosecco as you might know it, this sparkler is made by star wine maker Nino Franco, one of the areas very top producers. This is produced in Valdobbiadene, the very best area in Italy for producing Prosecco.
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| WINE | CHILL YOUR WHITE WINE FOR A COUPLE OF HOURS BEFORE SERVING BUT
DON’T OVER-HEAT YOUR REDS
– ROOM TEMPERATURE IS WHAT IT SAYS!
VINHO DE MOURO, QUINTA DO MOURO, PORTUGAL SALMON
UNO PIU UNO, MICHELLE BIANCARDI, PUGLIA, ITALY
MALBEC ALTOSUR, MENDOZA, ARGENTINA
Blended mainly from two indigenous Portuguese grapes, Trincadeira (40%) and Aragones (40%). Sweet, pure and quite lush on the nose, the palate is juicy, pure and vibrant with sweet bramble and berry fruit. Best drunk in its youth and adolescence, this is the perfect accompaniment to a lamb casserole after a wet day at the races.
This is a wine from Puglia, which has traditionally provided gutsy, rustic table wines. This wine, however, shows the quality now available from the region. Made with Primitivo and less well-known Nero di Troia grapes, this is smooth, rich, fragrant, absolutely delicious and a steal for just under €15. Organic to boot.
This beauty is crafted from Malbec grown at an altitude of 4,000 feet, high in the Andes. Aged in French and American oak barrels for three to four months, yielding red, ripe fruit - cherries, blackberries, blueberries and fresh plums combined with spicy and floral hints. In the mouth, the sweet and round tannins lend elegance and balance. Ideal partner for any sort of rich meat dish.
If you like unoaked white wines, buy and drink it young i.e. from the last year or two.
£9.95 / €14.95
Don’t store your wine near a radiator that goes on and off – it needs a consistent temperature.
An extra couple of euros goes a long way in terms of quality - if you can stretch your budget to 14€ - 15€ you will get something twice as interesting.
£8.99 / €13.99
Look out for wine tastings and wine fairs – they are a great opportunity to taste a wide range of wines (and spit!) as well as meet the people who make them.
| MAGAZINE 2017 |
£10.50 / €15.50
USE YOUR LOCAL WINE MERCHANT FOR
ADVICE. MOST PEOPLE WHO WORK THERE ARE PASSIONATE ABOUT WINE AND WILL BE ONLY TOO HAPPY TO TELL YOU ALL ABOUT THE WINE AND WHAT TO EAT WITH IT.
DOMAINE BELLVUE, SAUVIGNON BLANC, LOIRE, FRANCE
LA SOURCE DE VIGNELAURE ROSE, PROVENCE, FRANCE £11.50 / €16.99
ALVARINHO QUINTA DO SOALHEIRO, MELGACO, PORTUGAL
Up until a few years ago, the legendary racehorse trainer David O’Brien owned this property. We are delighted that the new owners have maintained the standards he set. This is Provençal rose at its very best, a delicious dry rich strawberry blend of Grenache, Syrah and Cinsault, perfect after the Irish Derby.
From one of our favourite producers Luis Cerdeiras, blink and you will miss the small town of Melgaco on the edge Northern Portugal. Soalheiro translates to sunny place, good name for a horse! Made totally from Alvarinho, this scored an amazing 94 points from Robert Parker.
£12.99 / €18.99
£18.75 / €30.50
Produced in the Loire valley from a tiny Domaine, no need to pay out a high price for Sancerre when you can enjoy this at less than half the price. The ideal wine for a group of friends spending a day at the races, suits all palates and far too easy to drink.
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| EQUINE ART | RONAN HALPIN Sculptor Ronan Halpin trained in National College of Art and Design in Dublin and was a Fulbright scholar at Yale School of Art. He now works from his studio in Keel on Achill Island, rendering his artistic interpretation or real and mythical creatures from metals stone. His stylised horse sculptures, worked in bronze, echo the exotic origins of the thoroughbred. The quality of these pieces, both in the artistic style and the level of craftsmanship would be a serious addition to art collection. ronanhalpin.com
LITTLE BLUE HORSE, RONAN HALPIN
| MAGAZINE 2017 |
MERCÈ CAÑADELL Born in Barcelona, Mercè Cañadell studied Ceramics and Sculpture in Massana School of Art & Design from 1990-93, moving to Ireland in 2002. She works in a variety of media including bronze casting, sculptural ceramics, carved wood and painted textiles. Her equine sculptures show the nobility and grace of the horse in a very distinctive style. mcanadell.com
ACE OF DIAMONDS, TONY O’CONNOR
WHITE HORSE, MERCÈ CAÑADELL
Fine Lines
T
FROM STONE AGE CAVE PAINTINGS AND PREHISTORIC HILL FIGURES TO MODERN MASTERPIECES, THE HORSE HAS BEEN AN ENDURING THEME THAT HAS CAPTIVATED ARTISTS DOWN THROUGH he challenge of capturing the beauty and complex THE AGES, physiognomy of these magnificent beasts has WRITES MARY fuelled works by artists as diverse and renowned CONNAUGHTON. as Da Vinci, Degas, Kandinsky and Picasso.
Each, with their distinctive styles, offers us an appreciation and insight into the relationship between man and horse. Ireland and Britain have a unique relationship with the horse, this seems to be is unequalled anywhere else in the world. Therefore it is not surprising that both countries have produced many fine artists for whom horses are an enduring inspiration, and it seems that many artist from further afield who have a particular affinity with the equine form have also made Ireland their home. Here is a selection of most interesting pieces by artists working in this genre.
TONY O’CONNOR It’s evident that horses have been an integral part of Tony O’Connor life. The son of a blacksmith, O’Connor’s intense, dramatic studies evoke the equine spirit. Although highly technical, his work has a mesmerising, dream like quality that shows a true appreciation animal’s majesty. This Cork artist has a growing international following and is most definitely one to watch. whitetreestudio.ie
RICHIE CLARK A carpenter by trade, Westmeath native Richie Clark’s life-sized sculptural woodcarvings are contemporary and bold. Largely selftaught, his pieces are influenced by Celtic mythology and folklore. This lends them a fairy-tale quality and many of his works are appropriately found in forest and woodland settings. Clark works with entire felled trees giving them new life in his monumental sculptures and smaller decorative pieces. clarkewood HORSE carving.com HEAD,
RICHIE CLARKE
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| EQUINE ART |
SARA HODSON Based in Rosscarbery in Cork, Sara Hodson works mainly in watercolours and oils and exhibits regularly in Ireland and the UK. Her paintings, many of which feature racehorses, have great depth and really evoke the race-day atmosphere, which is probably why she is frequently commissioned by horse owners and racing enthusiasts. Sara also holds drawing and painting classes in her studio for those who fancy testing their creative ability. sarahodson.com
DYNAMIC, GILL PARKER
GILL PARKER The outstanding bronze sculptures of Gill Parker capture the reflective intelligence of the horse. Her style has a contemporary edge and sensuous tactile quality, particularly the soft almost marble like patina of Dynamic II. Her horse head sculpture, Large Grey Head, is an exquisite example of the artist’s refined, classical reflection on equine beauty. gillparker.com
JOHN FITZGERALD Firmly established as one of the leading equine artists, Meath man John Fitzgerald’s background in industrial design influences the style his powerful portraits. His work hangs on the walls of some of the world’s most influential racehorse owners. Portraits of top jockeys, including AP McCoy and Barry Geraghty, capture their intensity and strength, and equally their tender relationship they have with these superb horses. johnfitzgeraldart.ie
| MAGAZINE 2017 |
ORDER OF ST GEORGE AT THE CURRAGH, SARA HODSON
AINTREE HEAD ON, PETER CURLING
CIRRUS DES AIGLES, JOHN FITZGERALD
PETER CURLING Peter Curling is famed for his portraits of racing superstars, and for images that capture the immense speed and physicality of racing. Peter honed his skills in Florence in the studio of Signorina Simi, His work is much sought after in racing circles and he is a highly regarded equine artist. Peter also draws immensely popular and very distinctive cartoons of figures from the world of racing. petercurling.com
GALILEO, MIHAELA BOSNEGEANU
MIHAELA BOSNEGEANU Mihaela Bosnegeanu works in charcoal and graphite pencil to create arresting pieces that demonstrate her absolute understanding and appreciation of horses. She has drawn world class horses including Galileo and Sadler’s Wells. Collectors of her work include John Magnier and Coolemore Stud. facebook.com/ thedarkhorseart
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RACING & FUN ON THE HILL OF CROCKAFOTHA SINCE 1726
The Laytown Strand Races Tuesday 5th September 2017
FIXTURES 2017
T: 041 984 2111 E: klaybell@eircom.net The Racecourse, Bellewstown, Co. Meath A92 EC82.
www.laytownstrandraces.ie
July: July: July:
Thursday 6th (e) Friday 7th (e) Saturday 8th (e)
August: Wednesday 30th (e) August: Thursday 31st (e) *(e) Evening
Bellewstown Races, Bellewstown, Co Meath Telephone: 00 353 41 9823614 Fax: 00 353 41 982 3644 Email: klaybell@eircom.net
www.bellewstownraces.ie
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14/02/2017 13:14
look
Seasons
| MAGAZINE 2017 |
| FASHION |
for all
FROM THE WIND WHIPPED, MUD SPATTERED, BOTTOMLESS GROUND OF WINTER NATIONAL HUNT MEETINGS TO THE GLORIOUS SUN DAPPLED SUMMER SPRINTS, HORSERACING TRULY IS A SPORT FOR ALL SEASONS. SO IF YOU’VE EVER HUDDLED IN THE STAND WISHING YOU’D WORN JUST ONE MORE LAYER OR IF YOU FANCY SWEEPING INTO CHANTILLY LOOKING MORE LIKE CARLA BRUNI THAN MRS BROWN THEN FOLLOW OUR FORM GUIDE TO THIS YEARS FASHION STAKES.
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| FASHION | MIRANDA, ALISON ROE €180, facebook.com/ alisonroemillinery/
PALOMA PICASSO® HAMMERED CIRCLES DROP EARRINGS IN 18K GOLD WITH DIAMONDS, €1,600, Tiffany & Co
Cheltenham
OSCAR FEDORA, LOCK & CO €290, Brown Thomas
| MAGAZINE 2017 |
B
CREAM DRESS, FEE G, €255, Arnotts
aby it’s cold outside. Abandon any thoughts of bare legs or GOTHAM CITY high heels. The SADDLE BAG, MARC JACOBS, fact that you €410, will be trudging Brown Thomas across muddy fields in rain, hail or snow is still a real possibility. Dress accordingly. Wool, tweed, cashmere and a good pair of boots are essential. Lift the look with a great overcoat and bag. For hats think fedora or fur Cossack hat and avoid anything with a big brim that’s going to be lifted by gust of wind.
GABRIELLE SCARF IN OLIVE, HOBBS, €70, Arnotts
PATTERNED SILK SCARF, ESCADA €295, Brown Thomas
TAUPE CAPE, TED BAKER, €280, Arnotts
LOGAN BOOT, WHISTLES, €240, Arnotts
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| FASHION |
LOUISE, ALISON ROE, €180, facebook.com/ alisonroemillinery/
Punchestown
PINK COAT, INWEAR, €220, Arnotts
FIONA, ALISON ROE, €175, facebook.com/ alisonroemillinery/
LOCKETTE PETITE VINTAGE SILVER, JIMMY CHOO, €1,495, Brown Thomas
W
MULTI COLOURED BOXY TOP, RAOUL, €295, Arnotts
hile the real winter chill has usually departed the weather is still unpredictable. Striking the balance between staying warm and lightening the mood to celebrate the arrival of spring with florals and colours.
BOND TEXTURED COURTS, KURT GEIGER LONDON, €300, Brown Thomas
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| MAGAZINE 2017 |
BERET, LAURA APSIT LIVENS, £720, lauraapsitlivens.co.uk
PINK MESH WITH HANDMADE RO RACHEL TREV SES, OR MORGAN, £1, 935, racheltrevor morgan.com
14CT GOLD BALLS CELOSIA GARLAND SILVER RING, MIRIAM OUDE VRIELINK, €485, Design Yard
HAT OC 294, PHILIP TRACEY, POA, philiptreacy.co.uk
THE ASSOCIATION OF IRISH RACEHORSE OWNERS | 67 |
14/02/2017 16:33
| FASHION |
CORE, LAURA APSIT LIVENS, £720, lauraapsitlivens.co.uk
Royal Ascot
FOUNDATION, LAURA APSIT LIVENS, £670, lauraapsitlivens.co.uk
PINK FLORAL PRINT LUNA DRESS, CAROLINE KILKENNY, €216, Diamonds & Pearls
HAT OC 304, PHILIP TRACEY, POA, philiptreacy.co.uk
BEIGE GOLD JAQUARD COAR, CAROLINE KILKENNY, €430, Diamonds & Pearls
| MAGAZINE 2017 |
T
LACE FULL PIR
£3,200, edwi OUETTE, EDWINA IBBOTSO naibbotson.c N, o.uk
TIFFANY BROCHES IN THE STYLE OF PAULDING FARNHAM, POA, Tiffany & Co
KALIEDESCOPE EARRINGS IN SPESSARTITE, PINK , €38,100, Tiffany & Co
his demands a degree of decorum. Tight, short, mid-riff baring or strapless may stay on the hanger. The look here is polished, chic and somewhat demure but absolutely upscale. If there is the slightest possibility that anyone in a reality TV show would wear it then step away from it now. A stylish pair of sunglasses and cool bag will complete the look. Hats are an essential part of the dress code.
ROCKSTUD T-BAR 65 COURTS, VALENTINO GARAVANI, €720, Brown Thomas
CARA S CLUTCH, JIMMY CHOO, €1,795, Brown Thomas
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| FASHION |
BLACK BLAZER, MARELLA, €230, Arnotts MIRAGE, STEPHEN JONES, €1.054, stephenjonesmillinery.com
PURPLE ITALIAN STRAW, RACHEL TREVOR MORGAN, £722, racheltrevormorgan.com MARINA, ALISON ROE, €175, facebook.com/ alisonroemillinery/
RATIO, LAURA APSIT LIVENS, €570, lauraapsitlivens.co.uk
ROSE GARDEN, EDWINA IBBOTSON, £1,650, edwinaibbotson.co.uk
| MAGAZINE 2017 |
FALABELLA FLAP BOX CROSSBODY, STELLA MCCARTNEY €995, Brown Thomas
YELLOW, WHITE & BLUE DRESS, RAOUL, €345, Arnotts
Y
ou can ditch the demure but the style stakes here are high. Aim for precise, well-cut pieces with an edge. Nothing frumpy or mother of the bride should be attempted. Sleek, elegant and confident is the order of the day but you can afford to be more avant garde with your choices of hat, bag and jewellery.
Chantilly
100 BALLET BOOTS, VALENTINO GARAVANI, €720, Brown Thomas
065 AIRO 2017_Fashion.indd 69
CHOCOLATE-BOXCOCKTAIL RING, ANDREW GEOGHEGAN, €6,650, Design Yard
KATE MONOGRAMMED SATCHEL, SAINT LAURENT, €1,650, Brown Thomas
THE ASSOCIATION OF IRISH RACEHORSE OWNERS | 69 |
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| FIXTURES |
A
RACEDAY BENEFITS FOR AIRO MEMBERS
One of the great benefits of being a member of AIRO is the access to our exclusive racecourse hospitality marquees at designated meetings. There is also a growing number of free race days, highlighted below, at courses around Ireland for owners with horses in training.
MARCH
APRIL
MAY
IRO has secured agreement with the Association of Irish Racecourses to have free entry to race meetings on selected dates for racehorse owners who currently have a horse in training but do not have a runner on the day. Free admission applies to a total of 118 meetings in 2017 and AIRO expresses its appreciation to the racecourses throughout the country for this gesture. Details of the meetings are highlighted on this calendar. RACECOURSE HOSPITALITY FOR MEMBERS In 2013 the Association introduced a new initiative of providing a
JUNE
JULY
Thu 2
Clonmel
Sat 1
Navan
Mon 1
Down Royal
Thu 1
Fairyhouse (e)
Sat 1
Curragh
Fri 3
Dundalk (e)
Sun 2
Cork
Mon 1
Naas
Fri 2
Tramore (e)
Sun 2
Curragh
Sat 4
Navan
Sun 2
Fairyhouse
Tue 2
Ballinrobe (e)
Sat 3
Navan
Tue 4
Gowran Park (e)
Sun 5
Leopardstown
Wed 5
Leopardstown
Thu 4
Clonmel (e)
Sat 3
Tramore (e)
Wed 5
Fairyhouse (e)
Thu 9
Thurles
Thu 6
Limerick
Fri 5
Cork (e)
Sun 4
Kilbeggan
Thu 6
Bellewstown (e)
Fri 10
Dundalk (e)
Fri 7
Dundalk
Fri 5
Downpatrick
Sun 4
Listowel
Thu 6
Tipperary (e)
Sat 11
Gowran Park
Fri 7
Wexford
Sat 6
Cork
Mon 5
Gowran Park
Fri 7
Bellewstown (e) Wexford (e)
Sun 12
Naas
Sat 8
Leopardstown
Sat 6
Wexford
Mon 5
Listowel
Fri 7
Thu 16
Dundalk (e)
Sun 9
Naas
Sun 7
Leopardstown
Wed 7
Wexford (e)
Sat 8
Naas Bellewstown (e)
| MAGAZINE 2017 |
Fri 17
Down Royal
Sun 9
Tramore
Mon 8
Roscommon (e)
Thu 8
Leopardstown (e)
Sat 8
Fri 17
Wexford
Mon 10
Tramore (e)
Wed 10
Dundalk (e)
Fri 9
Clonmel (e)
Sun 9
Limerick
Curragh
Mon 10
Roscommon (e)
Tue 11
Roscommon (e)
Wed 12
Dundalk
Thu 13
Downpatrick
Thu 13
Leopardstown (e)
Fri 14
Cork (e)
Fri 14
Navan (e)
Sat 15
Curragh
Sun 16
Curragh
Sun 16
Sligo
Mon 17
Killarney (e)
Tue 18
Killarney (e)
Wed 19
Killarney (e)
Thu 20
Killarney
Thu 20
Leopardstown (e)
Fri 21
Kilbeggan (e)
Sat 22
Gowran Park
Sat 22
Limerick
Sun 23
Fairyhouse
Sun 23
Limerick
Sat 18
Limerick
Tues 11
Tipperary (e)
Thu 11
Tipperary (e)
Sat 10
Sun 19
Limerick
Wed 12
Dundalk
Fri 12
Dundalk (e)
Sun 11
Curragh
Sun 19
Navan
Sat 15
Cork
Fri 12
Kilbeggan (e)
Mon 12
Roscommon (e)
Tue 21
Clonmel
Sun 16
Cork
Sat 13
Curragh
Tue 13
Roscommon (e)
Thu 23
Cork
Sun 16
Fairyhouse
Sun 14
Curragh
Thu 15
Leopardstown (e)
Fri 24
Dundalk(e)
Mon 17
Cork
Sun 14
Killarney
Fri 16
Fairyhouse (e)
Sat 25
Thurles
Mon 17
Fairyhouse
Mon 15
Killarney (e)
Sat 17
Downpatrick
Sun 26
Downpatrick
Tue 18
Fairyhouse (e)
Tue 16
Killarney (e)
Sat 17
Limerick
Sun 26
Naas
Thu 20
Tipperary (e)
Wed 17
Punchestown (e
Sun 18
Cork
Thu 30
Limerick
Fri 21
Dundalk (e)
Thu 18
Clonmel (e)
Sun 18
Downpatrick
Fri 31
Dundalk (e)
Fri 21
Kilbeggan (e)
Fri 19
Cork (e)
Tue 20
Sligo (e)
Sat 22
Limerick
Fri 19
Downpatrick (e)
Wed 21
Wexford (e)
Sun 23
Navan
Sat 20
Navan
Thu 22
Leopardstown (e)
Mon 24
Navan (e)
Sun 21
Limerick
Fri 23
Down Royal (e)
Tue 25
Punchestown (e)
Sun 21
Naas
Fri 23
Limerick (e)
Wed 26
Punchestown (e)
Mon 22
Sligo (e)
Sat 24
Down Royal
Thu 27
Punchestown (e)
Tue 23
Wexford (e)
Sat 24
Gowran Park
Fri 28
Punchestown (e)
Wed 24
Gowran Park (e)
Sun 25
Gowran Park
Sat 29
Punchestown
Thu 25
Tipperary (e)
Mon 26
Kilbeggan (e)
Sun 30
Gowran Park
Fri 26
Down Royal (e)
Tue 27
Ballinrobe (e)
Mon 24
Ballinrobe (e)
Sun 30
Sligo
Fri 26
Leopardstown (e)
Wed 28
Naas (e)
Tue 25
Ballinrobe (e)
Sat 27
Curragh
Thu 29
Tipperary (e)
Wed 26
Naas (e)
Sun 28
Curragh
Fri 30
Curragh (e)
Thu 27
Leopardstown (e)
Mon 29
Ballinrobe (e)
Thu 27
Limerick (e)
Tue 30
Ballinrobe (e)
Fri 28
Down Royal
Wed 31
Punchestown (e)
Fri 28
Wexford
Sat 29
Curragh
Mon 31
Galway (e)
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| FIXTURES |
AUGUST
SEPTEMBER
OCTOBER
NOVEMBER
DECEMBER
Tue 1
Galway (e)
Fri 1
Down Royal (e)
Sun 1
Tipperary
Wed 1
Dundalk (e)
Fri 1
Limerick
Wed 2
Galway (e)
Sat 2
Navan
Tue 3
Tipperary
Thu 2
Clonmel
Fri 1
Dundalk
Thu 3
Galway
Sat 2
Wexford
Wed 4
Naas
Fri 3
Down Royal
Sat 2
Fairyhouse
Fri 4
Galway (e)
Mon 4
Roscommon (e)
Thu 5
Tramore
Fri 3
Dundalk (e)
Sun 3
Fairyhouse
Sat 5
Galway
Tue 5
Laytown
Fri 6
Dundalk (e)
Sat 4
Down Royal
Thu 7
Clonmel
Sun 6
Galway
Wed 6
Gowran Park (e)
Sat 7
Fairyhouse
Sun 5
Cork
Fri 8
Dundalk (e)
Mon 7
Cork
Thu 7
Clonmel (e)
Sat 7
Limerick
Sun 5
Naas
Sat 9
Navan
Mon 7
Curragh
Fri 8
Down Royal (e)
Sun 8
Limerick
Tue 7
Fairyhouse
Sun 10
Cork
Tue 8
Cork (e)
Fri 8
Kilbeggan (e)
Sun 8
Navan
Wed 8
Dundalk (e)
Sun 10
Punchestown
Tue 8
Roscommon (e)
Sat 9
Leopardstown
Tue 10
Galway
Thu 9
Thurles
Thu 14
Tramore
Wed 9
Sligo (e)
Thu 10
Leopardstown (e)
Sun 10
Curragh
Wed 11
Gowran Park
Fri 10
Dundalk (e)
Fri 15
Dundalk (e)
Thu 10
Sligo
Sun 10
Listowel
Thu 12
Thurles
Sat 11
Naas
Sat 16
Fairyhouse
Fri 11
Tipperary (e)
Mon 11
Listowel
Fri 13
Downpatrick
Sun 12
Navan
Sun 17
Navan
Sat 12
Kilbeggan (e)
Tue 12
Listowel
Fri 13
Dundalk (e)
Wed 15
Fairyhouse
Sun 17
Thurles
Sun 13
Curragh
Wed 13
Listowel
Sat 14
Cork
Thu 16
Clonmel
Thu 21
Dundalk
Sun 13
Downpatrick
Thu 14
Listowel
Sun 15
Cork
Fri 17
Dundalk (e)
Fri 22
Dundalk (e)
Mon 14
Ballinrobe (e)
Fri 15
Listowel
Sun 15
Naas
Sat 18
Punchestown
Tue 26
Down Royal
Wed 16
Gowran Park (e)
Sat 16
Gowran Park
Wed 18
Punchestown
Sun 19
Cork
Tue 26
Leopardstown
Thu 17
Leopardstown (e)
Sat 16
Listowel
Thu 19
Punchestown
Sun 19
Punchestown
Tue 26
Limerick
Thu 17
Tramore (e)
Mon 18
Galway
Fri 20
Dundalk (e)
Thu 23
Thurles
Wed 27
Leopardstown
Fri 18
Dundalk (e)
Tue 19
Galway
Sat 21
Fairyhouse
Fri 24
Dundalk
Wed 27
Limerick
Fri 18
Tramore (e)
Wed 20
Fairyhouse
Sun 22
Leopardstown
Sat 25
Gowran Park
Thu 28
Leopardstown
Sat 19
Curragh
Thu 21
Ballinrobe
Wed 25
Navan
Sun 26
Navan
Thu 28
Limerick
Sat 19
Tramore (e)
Fri 22
Downpatrick
Thu 26
Thurles
Wed 29
Punchestown
Fri 29
Leopardstown
Sun 20
Curragh
Fri 22
Dundalk (e)
Fri 27
Dundalk (e)
Thu 30
Thurles
Fri 29
Limerick
Sun 20
Tramore
Sat 23
Navan
Sat 28
Leopardstown
Sun 31
Punchestown
Mon 21
Roscommon (e)
Sun 24
Naas
Sun 29
Galway
Tue 22
Sligo (e)
Mon 25
Roscommon
Sun 29
Wexford
Wed 23
Killarney
Tue 26
Tipperary
Mon 30
Galway
Thu 24
Killarney (e)
Wed 27
Sligo
Mon 30
Wexford
Fri 25
Kilbeggan (e)
Thu 28
Clonmel
Fri 25
Killarney (e)
Fri 29
Gowran Park
Sat 26
Killarney
Fri 29
Dundalk (e)
Sun 27
Curragh
Sat 30
Gowran Park
Mon 28
Downpatrick
Tue 29
Ballinrobe (e)
Wed 30
Bellewstown (e)
Thu 31
Bellewstown (e)
Thu 31
Tipperary (e)
070 AIRO 2017_Fixtures V2.indd 71
| MAGAZINE 2017 |
Punchestown Racing Festival April 25th to April 29th Marquee, where complimentary refreshments will be available. Marquee located in Reserved Enclosure. Curragh Pretty Polly Stakes Day Sunday July 2nd Free admission to the Racecourse and complimentary refreshments. Curragh Sunday August 20th Free admission to the Racecourse and complimentary refreshments. Galway Racing Festival July 31st to Aug 5th (excluding Thursday Aug 3rd) Marquee, where complimentary refreshments will be available. Marquee located close to Parade Ring.
hospitality marquee for its members at the Punchestown Racing Festival. This was very well received and it was decided to expand on the initiative in 2014 by providing the same type of facility at the Galway Racing Festival. In addition to this a hospitality suite was made available to members at the Curragh on Pretty Polly Stakes day. Having these hospitality facilities was made possible with the support of Irish Thoroughbred Marketing, Punchestown, Galway and Curragh Racecourses. The Association also entered into a hospitality exchange arrangement with the UK and French Owners Associations and details of this can be read on page 77 of this magazine. The Association will provide hospitality for its members at the following race meetings in 2017:
| 71 |
14/02/2017 12:21
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072 AIRO 2017_Adverts.indd 1
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14/02/2017 13:15
T
he Association of Irish Racehorse Owners (AIRO) has its office in the ITBA building beside Goffs Bloodstock in Kill Co Kildare. The Association has a Council of twelve people and the day to day operations are carried out by Manager, Aiden Burns, who will assist members in any way he can with their ownership queries. AIRO continues to campaign on behalf of owners with Horse Racing Ireland, Government Departments and the Association Aiden Burns Associaton of Irish Racecourses to ensure Manager prize money is kept up to The Association of Irish Racehorse minimum levels, costs are Owners (AIRO) reduced and that the race-day experience of owners continues to improve. Prize money for 2017 will see an increase again with a minimum race prize fund of €10000 and total prize money at a record level of €60.5 million. The cost to owners for entering their horse in a race with a value of €20,000 or less, will be reduced. Our sincere thanks is expressed to Government for its continued support of the industry. Racecourses have also improved their offering to racehorse owners and we look forward to further enhancements in this area. It is pleasing to record that we have been successful in obtaining 118 free race days in 2017 for owners who have a horse returned in training. We very much welcome this and express our thanks to the racecourses. In addition to campaigning for enhanced facilities for owners generally, AIRO seeks to provide benefits exclusive to its members. In this regard we have a public liability insurance scheme, race-day hospitality at Punchestown and Galway race festivals and two other days at The Curragh. Members can also avail of the UK Owners Marquee at Cheltenham Festival and French Owners Association facility at Deauville in August. Details of the various hospitality arrangements can be read on the following pages. Membership of AIRO automatically gives these benefits. The Annual General Meeting of the Association will be held in late March and notice of this will be sent to all members.
75
Benefits of Membership
76
Members Public Liability Insurance Scheme
77
| MAGAZINE 2017 |
VOICING OWNERS’ INTERESTS
Hospitality Exchange Programme
78
Guide to Horse Racing Ireland charges and deductions in relation to racehorse ownership - 2017
THE ASSOCIATION OF IRISH RACEHORSE OWNERS | 73 |
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| AIRO COUNCIL |
AIRO COUNCIL
CHAIRMAN: Brian Polly, Co. Down
VICE CHAIRMAN: John Weld, Co. Kildare
ASSOCIATION MANAGER: Aiden Burns, Co. Meath
| MAGAZINE 2017 |
HON. TREASURER: Dr. Brendan Doyle, Co. Carlow
REPRESENTATIVE ON HRI BOARD: James Gough, Co. Meath
COUNCIL MEMBER: David Hyland, Co. Laois
COUNCIL MEMBER: Paddy Roche, Co. Carlow
COUNCIL MEMBER: Caren Walsh, Co. Kildare
COUNCIL MEMBER: William Bourke, Co. Meath
COUNCIL MEMBER: John Power, Co. Limerick
COUNCIL MEMBER: Sandra Fox, Co. Meath
COUNCIL MEMBER: Richard Pugh, Co. Kildare
COUNCIL MEMBER: Judy Maxwell, Co. Down
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| AIRO MEMBER BENEFITS |
BENEFITS OF MEMBERSHIP
In addition to being represented within the Governing Body of the industry, members also receive the following benefits.
PUBLIC LIABILITY INSURANCE
OTHER INSURANCE
RACING POST PHOTOGRAPHS
RACECOURSE HOSPITALITY
Wrights Insurance Brokers, Wexford, will give favourable rates to Members on other insurance.
Members can avail of a 20% discount on all photos purchased from Racing Post.
Access to Members Marquee and complimentary refreshments at Punchestown and Galway Racing Festivals.
Contact Number is: 053/9155600
Free admission to Curragh Racecourse and access to suite with complimentary refreshments on two days including the Pretty Polly Stakes Day.
CHELTENHAM FESTIVAL
OTHER UK RACE MEETINGS
Opportunity to purchase Marquee tickets at a favourable rate which will give access to the UK Owners Association facility at Cheltenham in March.
Opportunity to purchase tickets at a favourable rate for the UK Owners Association corporate hospitality at Royal Ascot, Glorious Goodwood and Newmarket meetings.
| MAGAZINE 2017 |
All members are automatically covered in relation to sums they may become legally liable to pay (up to €6.5 million) as damages in respect of accidental bodily injury to any person or accidental loss of, or damage to property, arising out of ownership of any horse kept for the purposes of racing.
FRENCH RACING Access to the Jardin des Proprietaires (a private outdoor marquee in a prime location) at Deauville race
meetings in August. Details available from the AIRO office.
The Marquee is ideally located in the Club Enclosure. Food and refreshments are on sale inside.
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| AIRO MEMBER BENEFITS |
MEMBERS PUBLIC LIABILITY INSURANCE SCHEME
In 2005, an accident occurred at Wolverhampton races in England whereby an assistant trainer got seriously injured when kicked unconscious by a horse in the parade ring. In 2007, legal action in relation to a claim for damages by the victim’s family resulted in the bankruptcy of one of the horse’s owners, who was not insured. The trainer of the horse and other co-owner had insurance cover but it was not sufficient to cover the settlement of the claim and the balance of
the claim became the liability of the part-owner who did not have insurance cover. This caused his bankruptcy which no doubt instilled fear in racehorse owner’s minds with regard to the possibility of injury claims. The Association of Irish Racehorse Owners became aware in 2008 that an insurance scheme specifically for racehorse owners, that would cover claims in excess of what may be covered by trainers insurance, was being devised by a UK equine insurance company.
Following discussions and negotiations the Association of Irish Racehorse Owners arranged an insurance policy with this UK Company. The policy gives cover in relation to sums which the Assured shall become legally liable to pay as damages in respect of accidental bodily injury to any person or accidental loss of, or damage to, property, arising out of ownership of any horse kept for the purposes of racing. All paid up members of the Association are automatically covered by this insurance policy.
| MAGAZINE 2017 |
SOME KEY FACTS OF THE POLICY MASTER POLICY HOLDER
The Association of Irish Racehorse Owners
LIMIT OF INDEMNITY
€6.5 million
CLAIMS
If any claim is also covered by another insurance, the liability under this policy will be as excess of and not as contributory with the other policy Cover applies to any horse kept for the purposes of racing under the Rules of Racing and National Hunt Rules or Point to Pointing, providing the Point to Pointer is being trained by a licensed trainer only.
COVER
The horse can be (a) in training in a licensed trainer’s yard in Ireland or UK (b) being prepared to go in to training in a licensed trainer’s yard in Ireland or UK (c) out of training provided the horse is only out of training on a temporary basis and is within Ireland or UK. (d) Teomorarily outside Ireland or Great Britain for the purposes of participating in a race only. Cover also applies to a yearling purchased at the sales provided it is the intention to begin preparation for training and to a horse being prepared for a breeze up from the time that process begins. Racehorse owners who are not currently members of the AIRO are encouraged to join as the benefit alone of having this insurance cover will give peace of mind .
Membership costs €65 annually and has many other benefits
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| AIRO MEMBER BENEFITS |
HOSPITALITY EXCHANGE PROGRAMME
AIRO, ROA and France Galop share a commitment to upgrading their services to members with a view to enhancing the recognition of owners’ invaluable contribution to the thoroughbred industry. Through this exchange programme, the three organisations look to build and expand the reciprocal hospitality and look forward to welcoming each other’s members to their facilities at a number of high profile race
meetings during 2017. Race meetings included in the programme are Punchestown Festival, Galway Festival, Pretty Polly Stakes Day at the Curragh, Cheltenham Festival, Royal Ascot, Glorious Goodwood, Deauville Festival. In addition to providing facilities at race meetings in their own country, the programme offers the opportunity to members to enjoy similar hospitality in Europe’s two other major racing jurisdictions.
DETAILS OF THE PROGRAMME Cheltenham Festival March 14th to 17th
• Badges can be purchased for the ROA Marquee facility • £35 per day/£112 for 4 days (ROA Members Rate) • Complimentary tea/coffee. Cash bar and food can be purchased • Admission to racecourse is payable
Punchestown Festival April 25th to 29th
• Access to AIRO Member’s Marquee located in Reserved Enclosure • Complimentary refreshments. Members may bring up to 3 guests • Racecourse admission payable
Royal Ascot June 20th to 24th
• Hospitality package for Carriages Restaurant across all 5 days • Tables situated adjacent to one another in one section of open restaurant • Packages prices to be confirmed. Racecourse admission payable.
Curragh Pretty Polly Stakes Day - July 2nd
• Free admission to racecourse • Complimentary refreshments
Galway Festival July 31st - August 5th
• Access to Member’s Marquee adjacent to parade ring • Complimentary refreshments. Members may bring up to 3 guests. • Racecourse admission payable. • Note: Facility not available on Thursday 3rd.
Glorious Goodwood August 1st -5th
• Badges can be purchased for the Richmond Enclosure. • Admission to this area is otherwise limited to Owners/Trainers/ Annual Members • Racecourse admission is payable. Early booking rate will apply to June 1st
Curragh August 20th
• Free admission to racecourse • Complimentary refreshments
Deauville August Festival
• Free admission to racecourse and access to Jardin des Proprietaires – Owners Lounge • Food can be purchased.
(exclude 3rd)
| MAGAZINE 2017 |
The Association of Irish Racehorse Owners (AIRO), the Racehorse Owners Association, UK, (ROA) and France Galop’s Owners Department joined forces to provide a programme of hospitality exchanges between Ireland, Great Britain and France, for the exclusive benefit of our respective members. This has proven to be a very successful initiative with positive feed-back from members of all three Associations who availed of the facilities.
NOTES: 1. AIRO Members wishing to avail of ROA or France Galop facilities should contact the AIRO office – Tel: 045/878173 or Email: info@irishracehorseowners.com for the relative details. 2. ROA and France Galop Members who wish to avail of AIRO facilities should (a) for Punchestown and Galway – present membership I D at AIRO Marquee and (b) for the Curragh – Tickets must be reserved in advance by contacting AIRO as per contact details in note 1. 3. Details of further offers in relation to French race meetings, to be confirmed, will be available from AIRO.
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| AIRO MEMBER BENEFITS |
Guide to Horse Racing Ireland charges and deductions in relation to racehorse ownership - 2017
The following are the main charges and deductions applied. REGISTRATION FEES: Registration of Horse’s Name & Issue of Passport
€125
Annual Registration of Authority to Act on behalf of Owner
€40
Annual Registration of Colours
€40
Annual Registration of Partnerships
€40
Registration of Leases
€40
RACING CHARGES
| MAGAZINE 2017 |
Bookage Charge for ordinary races – (group & listed cost more) (Bookage charges include €2.50 levy for Irish Equine Centre)
€10
Entry Fee
0.7% of Total Race Value (races worth €20,000 or less)
Declaration Fee
0.2% of Total Race Value
Jockey Riding Fee (Flat)
€184.59 (plus VAT if jockey registered)
Jockey Riding Fee (N/Hunt)
€161.47 (plus VAT if jockey registered)
DEDUCTIONS FROM WINNERS PRIZE MONEY Trainers Share – 10% of owners winnings less Stable Lads’ and Jockeys’ Emergency Fund payments (Equivalent to approximately)
9.49% of winnings
Jockeys Share - Same as Trainers
9.49% of winnings
Stable Employee Bonus Scheme
3.00% of winnings
Stable Staff Association
0.10% of winnings
Jockeys’ Emergency Fund (Welfare fund for jockeys with permanent disability )
1.00% of winnings
Total deducted from Owners Prize Money including race entry
24%
HRI STATEMENT ABBREVIATIONS E+B....... Entry Fee plus Bookage Fee Fft+Bkge..........................Forfeit Fee plus Bookage Fee Del.......................................Declaration Fee
RF..................................................... Riding Fee JO%.........................Jockey’s Percentage TR%........................ Trainer’s Percentage JEF.............Jockey’s Emergency Fund
SEBS.............................. Stable Employee Bonus Scheme ISA......... Irish Stablestaff Association
| 78 | THE ASSOCIATION OF IRISH RACEHORSE OWNERS
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| GALWAY RACE WEEK 2016 |
M | MAGAZINE 2017 |
AIRO MEMBERS AT GALWAY
embers and friends enjoying one of the benefits of AIRO Membership in their exclusive hospitality marquee at Galway Race Week 2016.
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| MAGAZINE 2017 |
| GALWAY RACE WEEK 2016 |
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| AIRO AWARDS 2016 |
AIRO
AWARDS
2016 | MAGAZINE 2017 |
T
he Association, whose Awards night was revived in 2015 held its 2016 event in the Killashee Hotel,
Naas, on Saturday 29th October. Council Member, Richard Pugh, acted as MC on the night. Once again the night was a great success with 220 people in attendance. AIRO Chairman, Brian Polly, welcomed all to the dinner and congratulated the award winners. He expressed thanks to the racecourses for their efforts to improve the race-day experience of the racehorse owner. Guests included Government representative, Martin Heydon, T.D. , Sean O Fearghail, Ceann Comhairle, Horse Racing Ireland Chief Executive, Brian Kavanagh and representatives from other bodies within the industry. In addressing the attendance, Martin Heydon T.D. acknowledged the contribution racehorse owners make to the industry and how important the industry is to the economy of the country and in providing employment in rural areas in particular. He reaffirmed the Government’s commitment to supporting Irish horse racing. Guest speaker, Mr Peter Doyle, also spoke about the importance of the racehorse owner to the industry and the necessity for this to be acknowledged by racecourses on race-day. He also suggested that the race programme should be examined with a view to including more claiming races. There were nineteen awards presented and the Association appreciates the generous sponsorship received from The Killashee Hotel, Horse Racing Ireland, Irish Thoroughbred Marketing, Connolly’s Red Mills, Goffs, Tattersalls, Coolmore Stud, Darley, Weatherbys, Ardrums House Stud, Derrinstown Stud, Irish Thoroughbred Breeders Association, Howden Insurance, Hanged Man’s
Restaurant, Diamonds & Pearls Boutique, Peter & Ross Doyle Bloodstock. Journalists, Mark Costello, Irish Field and Alan Sweetman, Racing Post, assisted in selecting winners of a number of categories and their help was very much appreciated. There was a diverse spread of award categories, ranging from awards for champion performances to awards for realising a racing dream. Champion performance and leading owner awards were won by H H Aga Khans Studs, Coolmore , Gigginstown and J P McManus. One of the most popular winners of the night was the McNamara Family Syndicate for their horse “Lisa’s Legacy” which gave the family its first racecourse win in almost eighty years involved in horse racing. Another feature of the results was the success of Act D Wagg Syndicate for winning the Syndicate Award for the second year in a row for its horse “Clondaw Warrior” A new category of award was introduced this year for successful horses claimed out of claiming races and this was won by Deirdre Kelly & Dr Tara Browne for their horse “Bainne”. Other award winners were Equinegrowthpartnership, Cahalan/Poonawalla Partnership and Andrew McIntyre. Awards for services to racing were won by Joe O’Donnell, Racecourse Vet, Mary Kelly, Cork Racecourse and Wilson Dennison, Northern Ireland. Four racecourses won awards of merit for the effort made by them to enhance the race-day experience of the racehorse owner. These were: • Ballinrobe • Galway • Leopardstown • The Curragh
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| MAGAZINE 2017 |
| AIRO AWARDS 2016 |
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| AIRO AWARDS 2016 |
CHAMPION HORSE – FLAT Found – Tabor/ Magnier/ Smith Partnership CHAMPION HORSE – NATIONAL HUNT Don Cossack – (Gigginstown House Stud) GOFFS VALUE PURCHASE Jet Setting (Equinegrowthpartnership) TATTERSALLS VALUE PURCHASE Don’t Touch It (J P McManus) LEADING OWNER – FLAT Tabor/ Magnier/ Smith Partnership LEADING OWNER NATIONAL NATIONAL HUNT Gigginstown House Stud OWNER/BREEDER – FLAT H H Aga Khan Studs ( Harzand) OWNER/BREEDER – NATIONAL HUNT Andrew McIntyre ( Jennies Jewel) | MAGAZINE 2017 |
SUCCESSFUL SYNDICATE Act D Wagg Syndicate (Clondaw Warrior)
John Weld, AIRO Vice Chairman, presenting an “Award of Merit” to Derek McGrath, CEO The Curragh Racecourse
RACING DREAM Cahalan/Poonawalla Partnership (Gordon Lord Byron) RACING DREAM McNamara Family Syndicate (Lisa’s Legacy) SUCCESSFUL CLAIMED HORSE Deirdre Kelly & Dr. Tara Browne ( Bainne) SERVICES TO RACING Joe O’Donnell (Racecourse Vet) SERVICES TO RACING Mary Kelly (Cork Racecourse)
Emma Tildesley, Howden Insurance, presenting “Racing Dream” award to the McNamara Family Syndicate
SERVICES TO RACING Wilson Dennison (Northern Ireland) RACECOURSE MERIT AWARD Ballinrobe Racecourse (John Flannelly, Manager) RACECOURSE MERIT AWARD Galway Racecourse (Michael Moloney, Manager) RACECOURSE MERIT AWARD Leopardstown Racecourse ( Pat Keogh, CEO) RACECOURSE MERIT AWARD The Curragh Racecourse (Derek McGrath, CEO)
Aiden Burns, AIRO Manager, presenting an “Award of Merit” to Michael Moloney, Manager Galway Racecourse
Joe Connolly, Connolly’s Red Mills, presenting “Champion National Hunt Horse” award to Eddie O’Leary, Gigginstown House Stud
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| AIRO AWARDS 2016 |
Joey Cullen, Goffs, presenting “Goffs Value Purchase” award to John Kilbride, Equine Growth Partnership
Ted Walsh Jnr, Coolmore Stud, presenting “Leading National Hunt Owner” award to Eddie O’Leary, Gigginstown House Stud
Shane O’Dwyer, Manager ITBA, presenting “Owner/Breeder National Hunt” award to Andrew McIntyre
| MAGAZINE 2017 |
Stephen Collins, Derrinstown Stud, presenting “Racing Dream” award to Jessica Cahalan
Caren Walsh, AIRO Council Member, presenting an “Award of Merit” to John Flannelly, Manger Ballinrobe Racecourse.
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| AIRO AWARDS 2016 |
Anna Doyle, Peter & Ross Doyle Bloodstock, presenting “Successful Claimed Horse” award to Dr Tara Browne
Dermot Weld receiving the “Owner/Breeder Flat” award on behalf of H H Aga Khan Studs from Gerry Duffy, Darley
| MAGAZINE 2017 | Kevin O’Ryan, on behalf of the Hanged Mans Restaurant, presenting the “Successful Syndicate” award to Act D Wagg Syndicate
Charles O’Neill, ITM, presenting the “Champion Flat Horse” award to Joe Hernon, Coolmore Stud
Andrew Hogan, Manager Cork Racecourse, receiving “Services to Racing” award on behalf of Mary Kelly, Cork Racecourse, from Attracta Mongey, Diamonds & Pearls Boutique, Clane
| 86 | THE ASSOCIATION OF IRISH RACEHORSE OWNERS
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| AIRO AWARDS 2016 |
Kieran McManus receiving the “Tattersalls Value Purchase” award, on behalf of J P McManus, from Timmy Hillman, Tattersalls
Caroline McCaldin receiving “Services to Racing” award on behalf of Wilson Dennison, from Brian Kavanagh, CEO HRI
| MAGAZINE 2017 |
Brian Polly, AIRO Chairman, presenting an “Award of Merit” to Pat Keogh, CEO Leopardstown Racecourse
Ronan Murphy, Weatherbys Ireland, presenting “Leading Flat Owner” award to Jason Walsh, Coolmore Stud
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Jumping THE FENCE | JOSEPH O’BRIEN |
| MAGAZINE 2017 |
Q: Did you consider any other career when you were planning your retirement? JOB: Because I was so tall and heavy, being a jockey was actually always a stepping stone to training for me, so everything I did as a jockey was with a view to becoming a trainer. I just started off wanting to ride a few winners and things kind of went from there. You don’t ride big winners if you don’t ride good horses, so I was very lucky. Q: How much of an influence do your parents have on your training career now that the license is your own? JOB: If I ever need anything they are there. They are a big help and every week
Cody Glenn
TWO-TIME CHAMPION FLAT JOCKEY JOSEPH O’BRIEN ENTERED THE TRAINING RANKS FULL-TIME THIS SEASON WITH A STRONG DUAL-PURPOSE STABLE THAT HAS ALREADY CHALKED UP BIG SUCCESSES. FATHER, AIDAN O’BRIEN REMAINS IRELAND’S YOUNGEST EVER CHAMPION TRAINER, TAKING THE TITLE AT 26 IN 1996, WILL HIS SON EMULATE HIM? AT 23, HE HAS THREE YEARS TO DO IT. there is always something to be talking about. Mum (Annemarie O’Brien) is on the hill with me a day or two a week and helping in the office, and dad is always on the other end of the phone. I’m lucky. Q: You also have the support of some of the game’s biggest owners, including JP McManus and Gigginstown House Stud. How does that feel? JOB: The owners are a big part and a very important part of training. I’m very lucky that we have collected some very good owners. I do train a lot for JP McManus, but it’s an open yard and there are plenty of other owners. It’s about 50-50 Flat and National Hunt horses
Q: Have you learnt anything new about horses? JOB: When I stopped riding altogether I had already been working at home with mum and dad (at Ballydoyle) for years, so I suppose I had learnt a lot then. It goes back to the years riding being a stepping stone. But you are always learning new things and trying to improve things with horses.
and I’ll just do my best with all of them. We’re making plans for every horse and we’ll see what happens. Q: Do you miss riding? JOB: I don’t miss riding. I suppose you do miss the big days, but I’m very busy and you only miss things when you don’t have anything to fill the equivalent time with. I love what I do every single day. Q: Lastly, give us one to watch JOB: I suppose Edwulf is a horse who is flying a bit under the radar. He’s a lightly-raced sevenyear-old, a nice type owned by JP McManus, who won a maiden hurdle in January and is going novice chasing this season.
PS: Did we mention his training yard in Piltown has housed two champion National Hunt trainers already? This trainer’s parents, Aidan and Annemarie O’Brien.
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