ANYONE embarking on breeding or owning racehorses needs to have a touch of a dreamer about them, but not all connections show the terrific patience that is in the locker of the Do Your Best Syndicate.

Prior to last month, the family syndicate’s consistent homebred mare Workinonadream was winless in 10 career starts. To make matters more excruciating, she had hit the crossbar with five seconds and three thirds.

However, with the form of her 40/1 second at the Limerick Christmas Festival working out nicely, it all finally came together for the Mount Nelson mare at Fairyhouse four weeks ago. A breakthrough maiden hurdle victory over €320,000 point-to-point recruit Swing Davis was certainly earned.

That success on its own would have been sweet given the seven-year-old’s previous near-misses, but it was made all the better given the efforts of the determined ownership group over nearly two decades.

“There is so much enjoyment and a huge thrill in seeing your horse win - it’s marvellous,” says Ivan Sutton, who makes up one quarter of the syndicate alongside his brother Tom Sutton, sister Mary Shanahan and nephew Niall Shanahan.

“In nearly 18 years of us going together with horses, we’ve had two winners on the track and one point-to-point winner. I think it’s well deserved at this stage. You can put that in bold writing!”

The origins of Workinonadream’s four-and-a-quarter-length victory stem all the way back to the purchase of her dam, Lady Daisy - a mare bred in the purple as a half-sister to dual Cheltenham Festival hero Weapon’s Amnesty and Grade 3 winner Shrapnel.

“We bought Lady Daisy in 2007 as a store,” says Tom Sutton, based just outside Ashbourne, Co Meath near the Dreaper family’s Greenogue Stables.

“The mare was bought by my brother-in-law, T.J. Shanahan - Niall’s father and Mary’s husband - and Martin Murray of Greenogue. Weapon’s Amnesty was a year older than her and went on to win the Albert Bartlett at Cheltenham in 2009.

Strong pedigree

“With that in mind, we decided to send her down to Jim Dreaper but she got a suspensory ligament injury in the late spring/early summer period. She started to come right and we declared her for Listowel that September, but unfortunately she got a bit of heat in a leg again the day before it.

“Jim rang us and felt she’d be worth taking home to breed with instead of risking anything - especially with Weapon’s Amnesty going so well. I have a bit of land here and a few stables and we decided to cover her. A year later, Weapon’s Amnesty went back to Cheltenham and won the RSA Chase there too, so that was another boost.”

Since those early days, the Suttons and Shanahans have had plenty of experience with Workinonadream’s family. They retained a share in her half-brother Eco Pete, winner of a Bellewstown bumper on his second start for John McConnell in August 2021, while her full brother, On The Steel, landed a maiden hurdle at Ballinrobe last spring for Conor O’Dwyer.

Tom explains: “We lost Lady Daisy three years ago. I have her first daughter, Daisy Chicks, here with us, and a two-year-old gelding by Sumbal out of her. I didn’t breed from her for the last few years while we had a few horses on the go but there are some nice stallions at Boardsmill Stud who we might think about now.

“We have a Poet’s Word four-year-old [out of Lady Daisy] with Thomas Dreaper going into training in the next week or two. He’s taking a bit of time but we’ll get him fit and see. He could get the summer off and think about the autumn.”

Next generation

Ivan adds: “We’re excited about him; he might even be better than this mare.”

There was an extra reason to celebrate when Workinonadream got off the mark last month in the hands of Tiernan Power Roche. As part of the Weatherbys ITBA National Hunt Fillies Bonus Scheme, connections collected a cheque for €7,500.

“She’s very consistent and honest, and has been no trouble so far,” says Tom.

“We always hoped the win would come for her so we kept going and thankfully it worked out at Fairyhouse. We obviously got the bonus too - that’s a great help.”

Ivan adds: “The day she won, her jumping really came together and I think that was a big part of it. She didn’t make a mistake that day, whereas other times she could have lost four or five lengths over the course of a race due to her jumping. She was spot on at Fairyhouse.

“On top of that, it was great to get a win at our local track. Most of us managed to get there and we got some buzz out of it. We all went to see her run at Navan last Sunday too [when fifth in the Listed Apple’s Jade Mares Novice Hurdle] and went for a meal afterwards; it’s nice to be able to get out together.

“The plan is to go for another couple of handicap hurdles before taking her home for the summer. We’re looking forward to novice chasing when she comes back. Hopefully she could be a better chaser than a hurdler. She’s strengthening up as she goes so fingers crossed next season can be even better with her if she continues going the right way.”

Workinonadream joined an in-form Philip Rothwell stable before her summer seasonal reappearance in 2024, and connections speak highly of the Co Wicklow trainer.

“We just felt like we’d fancy a change from what we had been doing before and knew somebody who had a horse with Philip. From the first phone call to this day, I can’t say enough good things about him,” says Ivan.

“His professionalism is top class and he’ll always ring you back. He’s always straight with you and doesn’t have too many horses, maybe 60, so there’s plenty of time that can be put into them. He’s got great staff and we’re very happy with the job he’s doing. I can understand why things are working well from how he deals with his owners. He’s a gentleman.”

Family passion

The capable mare clearly means plenty to her owner-breeders, and keeps alive active family links to the past.

“We’re all very passionate about it and do all the work ourselves here so it means a lot to get her head in front,” says Tom.

“I’ve always loved horses and really enjoy seeing them here. She’s a big, tall mare who I think is coming into herself now. She needed plenty of time but is getting the power into her now.”

Ivan adds: “Being honest, it’s just a dream come true for us to get a winner and to have a good mare like her. We set this syndicate up in 2007 and unfortunately T.J. died in 2010.

“T.J. and Tom were the main horse guys in the family, the rest of us learned as we went. I’m not saying I know a lot or will be taking out a licence any time soon but I’ve learned a little! We kept it going after T.J. passed away and to have a winner now is just brilliant for everyone.”