MARCH has been a good month for trainer/breeder/owner Con O’Keeffe. He trained Kilbarry Lilly to win a mares’ maiden hurdle at Leopardstown and then three days later he sent out Kilbarry Calling to take a mares’ beginners chase at Thurles. The latter nearly went in again when third to Highest Benefit in a handicap chase at Clonmel this week.

What made it a better month was the fact that O’Keeffe had both his mares signed up to the Weatherbys ITBA National Hunt Mares Bonus. That meant that on top of the prize money of €17,248 won by both, there was two more sets of €5,000 added to it. Not bad work for two mares and scarcely comparable with the way things were 10 years ago.

O’Keeffe will tell you that himself: “There are far more opportunities now for mares with more races from four-year-old point-to-points to bumpers and right up to graded level.

“It’s a great bonus. To get the extra €5,000 on top of winning a race is a huge help. Huge expense is associated with owning and training racehorses and any scheme to increase prize money in racing, especially for mares, has to be welcomed.”

In fairness, it hasn’t just been a great month for O’Keeffe, it’s been a great year. The five winners he has sent out is easily his best return as a trainer and Diamond Boy, one of two stallions standing at his Kilbarry Lodge, has had a big impact.

The Mares Bonus has obvious direct benefit to the owner of a horse, but its positive effect for the breeder is nearly as strong.

BREEDING

O’Keeffe explains: “My main interest is in the breeding side of it and luckily we have some great National Hunt families who consistently churn out winners which is a big help when putting them in training.

“All of our fillies are bred to be sold either as foals or as stores and failing that, if we have to put them in training and are lucky enough to win with them, they are either sold at that stage or retained as broodmares.

“We have seen huge prices recently paid both at public sales and privately for National Hunt fillies in training as well as huge prices at public sales paid for broodmares who have raced to a high level.”

O’Keeffe, whose horses are owned by his wife Claire and friend Tadhg O’Sullivan, has won three bonuses in all and will surely continue to prosper in the scheme, in particular with Kilbarry Lilly, a point-to-point winner who has a bright future over fences.

Diamond Boy also looks set to be in demand from breeders after a very good season when the likes of Grand Sancy and Monsieur Le Coq made a real name for themselves and their sire.

“We are very lucky to have Diamond Boy.

“He is a complete outcross to most of our thoroughbred mares in Ireland and descends from one of France’s greatest sires Tourbillon who founded a worldwide dynasty.

“From limited numbers of runners and horses prepared for sales, his results are very impressive and to date he is getting tremendous support from Irish breeders.

“We also have Pillar Coral who is a big scopey horse and comes from the top Juddmonte stallion-making family of Martaline, Coastal Path, Beat Hollow, Court Cave, Kingman and Oasis Dream. His first foals have arrived this year and have really caught the eye in terms of size, power, conformation and quality.”