FAMOUS Name was one of the best-known, best-loved and soundest racehorses ever to grace the turf in Ireland. Trained by Dermot Weld for Juddmonte Farms, he won 21 times in a career spanning six seasons. They included the Group 2 Royal Whip Stakes at the Curragh, no less than 12 Group 3 successes and seven listed races, for total earnings of around €1,500,000.

Although Famous Name never won a Group 1 contest, he was five times second at that level, including in the French Derby and twice in the Tattersalls Gold Cup, and he was only four times out of the first three in 38 starts.

With blacktype winners under both codes of racing, he is a stallion who gets winners of all types. In fact, this month he has sired winners on the flat, of a bumper and a chase, much to the delight of Alastair Pim at Anngrove Stud.

“He was one of the toughest horses ever to go into training. He never ran a bad race, so you would hope that he would put a bit of that into his stock and come up with a serious horse,” Alastair said.

Famous Name has just completed his fourth season at Anngrove, following five years at the Irish National Stud. He continues what is now a longstanding partnership between the studs, one that began with the purchase of Rudimentary for stallion duties in Ireland 20 years ago. “That came about through John Clarke. There was an advertisement in The Irish Field about getting involved in a National Hunt stallion, and we replied to it. It all started from there.”

However, the connection between both farms can be traced further back, to 1986 when a young Alastair Pim walked through the gates at Tully to commence a six-month stint on the Irish National Stud Thoroughbred Management Course. He was one of 28 students that year. Somewhat unusually, only five travelled to Ireland to study.

Medals

One of that quintet was Mariann Klay, now an honorary Irishwoman as she and Des Leadon own the hugely successful Swordlestown Little Stud near Punchestown. Mariann was the silver medal winner that year, being pipped to the gold by Pat Connell, another industry stalwart.

Having already mentioned three outstanding graduates, it would be fair to say that any course would be proud to acclaim them and say that they represented a good year. Well, hold your breath. That year – and with apologies to those omitted – also contained John Bleahen, Michael Buckley, Ger Butler, Paul Hensey, John McCormack, Willie McCreery and Brian Meehan. Alastair roomed at the time with Cork’s Michael Gaffney. What a group of alumni.

Alastair Pim, as anyone who knows him, is the personification of his father David. Dad was a highly-regarded and much loved stud owner and one of the original pioneer auctioneers at Ballsbridge Sales when it was set up in 1975. Alastair continues that legacy and the same words could be used to describe him too. Both men cared and care deeply for the small breeder.

Highlights

Displaying great modesty when asked to list his highlights on the rostrum, Alastair said that “to be honest, anybody can sell a million-pound horse. I’d rather get 1,800 for something that’s worth only 800. I get much more satisfaction out of that.”

Getting back to the course at the INS, Alastair, a modest man of few words sometimes for someone who shines when he ascends the rostrum to sell, summed up the period from January to June 1986 as “one of the best six months I ever spent. Even though I was in the business, I learnt a huge amount. I made great, great, wonderful friends on it and I’ve kept in touch with them since I left.”

In past articles about the course, the word networking has cropped up time and again. While this usually refers to business contacts and support, Alastair revealed that it also extended to the world of romance. “When Gillian and I married, John Bleahen was at the wedding and it was there that he met Elaine Nolan, now his wife!”

Hughes’ help

Alastair did not go to the INS straight from school, but did so after a year spent at agricultural college and some time spent with John Hughes doing foals. After the course, and with the help of Hughes, he went to America and to Bill O’Neill at Circle O Farm in Kentucky. From there he continued his global travels, heading to Australia where he combined stud work with some experience at the Magic Million Sale. Alastair sold his first horses in Australia.

Today, Alastair combines running Anngrove with auctioneering at Fairyhouse and Newmarket, and carrying out inspections. With more sales than ever, how does he manage to fit it all in? “It has got a bit more demanding, but I love it. Spring is very busy, but I love the autumn bit because there’s less going on at home, so there’s no real pressure.

“It’s a great business to be in because you see the same people. I’m blessed to be at it.”

Broken hand

Alastair has a special memory of a month, thanks to a broken hand sustained while playing rugby, spent on the course when he worked closely on the veterinary side with the late Brian O’Sullivan. “I found him to be an absolute gentleman. I thought he was wonderful. I always wanted to be a vet.”

The Anngrove man follows the fortunes of the INS and its graduates with great interest, and feels everyone should consider the course as a career stepping stone. “I would recommend it 100%. It’s a wonderful course for anyone trying to get into the business.

“Between the lecturers and being on the farm you learn a huge amount. In my day it was a ticket to go anywhere around the world after you had done the course. It is the same today – it has a wonderful name around the world.”