SHEILA Lavery has made a steady impact in the training ranks since she took out a licence just over four years ago. She enjoyed considerable success as the purchaser and owner of Viztoria before she took the plunge and took out her licence in 2012.
She described herself as “a crap pinhooker” and explained,”I went into partnership with my brother John, but when it came to sell them as yearlings, they didn’t do that well.”
“But I did buy Viztoria and she did very well for us. I loved her - there was just something about her, but no one wanted her at the sales at Newmarket. We got bid less then we paid for her as a foal, so we kept her and she did so well for us on the track.”
“I didn’t train her, (Ado McGuinness and Eddie Lynam did) but I suppose that gave us the confidence that we needed from the point of view that we could trust our own judgement when it came to buying foals and yearlings.”
“The following year, we bought a few more and I have trained them since. Ultimately, the aim is the get the business to pay for itself, but John does love racing. The year before last, we sold Itorio and Gone Viral and we have Viztoria at home and I have always said that I’d sell her first foal. She slipped her foal this year, but she is back in foal to Australia.”
She has no background in racing, but she has been breeding flat horses and has done some pre-training. She has 24 full boxes at her yard just a couple of miles outside the village of Summerhill.
“I get a great kick when you know that you have something at home and they go on and do it on the track. That is an incredible buzz, but you don’t get time to dwell on the good days. I get great satisfaction when the horses perform on the track, but as I said to someone recently, it is a bit like my school report – could do better.
“You train a winner, but then a short time after that, it’s over and you have to move on. If there is a downside, I suppose I’d say that you don’t get that much time to soak it up when the horses do well.
“I have a great team at home – they are very good. Robbie Colgan comes in and rides out for me every day and he is a great asset. He is a very underrated rider and is just such a natural horseman. He is invaluable to me and he has been with me from day one.”
She added, “we have some nice two year olds and we let them tell us when they are ready to run. We have a nice horse by Tagula and he did his first bit this week and we’ll hopefully get him out before the end of the season. I have a nice filly by Holy Roman Emperor and a colt by Nathaniel, called Capital Fund. If I can get a run into them this year that’ll be fine, but I’m in no rush with them.”
ANGEL BAY
4yo b f (457434-0)
Bahamian Bounty - Welsh Angel
John Lavery
She has been off for a while. She is on the way back and we might try her once more on the track and she will be sold at the end of the year. She wants a mile and a quarter and she needs it soft.
ANOTHER STORY
3yo b f (1-1)
Rip Van Winkle - Chronicle
Spyglass Syndicate
She is two from two. She has grown and matured and I like her a lot. We took her away on Tuesday and that went well. She is in the Fairy Bridge and she might go there, but she lacks experience. I bred her and I have her dam so it makes sense to chase blacktype with her, but she is still green and raw and she needs to learn a bit more about the game. But she has improved and her work has been very good. She is in the Matron at Leopardstown and she has paid her entry fees, so she is well in credit. The Fairy Bridge will tell us more about her and I’d imagine that she will be kept in training next year.
CRAFTED JEWEL
3yo gr f (552-214)
Mastercraftsman - Adoring
John Lavery
I was disappointed with her last run at The Curragh, but we found a reason for that. She is on the way back and she is better than her last run. It might be a rush to get her back this season but I am in no rush with her. She could be a nice filly for next year over a mile/mile and a quarter with a slight ease in the ground.
DANZ GIFT
5yo ch g (116-767)
Haatef - Gracious Gift
John Lavery
He wants five furlongs and good ground. He has won around Dundalk, so that is an option for him, but we’ll try and find another race on the grass for him. He has plenty of pace and he should be capable of winning another race for us this year.
IBERGMAN
4yo b f (1314-06013)
Big Bad Bob - Casablanca Jewel
John Lavery
She has done very well for us. I was delighted with her when she was third in a listed race at Galway. She likes it around there and she is well suited by an ease and is best I think on an uphill finish. She will go to the sales at the end of the year and there are a couple of listed races coming up for her. We might put her in a good handicap somewhere, but she does need a good ease in the ground. I’d say a mile is her best trip.
MANDAMUS
4yo b g (92-04890)
Lawman - Stefanella
John Lavery
He has dropped a bit in the ratings and there is a chance that we might go for a maiden hurdle with him as it will keep him sweet. He handles soft ground well, but he doesn’t need it as much as people seem to think. There is a chance that we might keep him and try and do both jobs with him.
MR ORMSBY
3yo b g (89321)
Haatef - Ultra Cool
Spyglass Syndicate
He has surprised me. He is a bit lazy at home, but he has won his maiden this year and he likes quick ground. He is owned by a syndicate and he is one that we will probably keep on the go at Dundalk. I’d say he could be a real fun horse over a mile and a quarter on fast ground next year. He has improved over the last few weeks so hopefully there is more to come from him.
MULTIVIZ
3yo b f (442-4456)
Multiplex - Vizean
John Lavery
She has yet to do what we think that she is capable of. Her form looks ordinary enough, but her two-year-old form was very good. She just needs to produce it on the track and if she could get her head in front, I think that will do her a lot of good. I think she just needs a bit of confidence more than anything else as she has the ability.
MZURI
4yo b f (29044493)
Tagula - Meadow
John Lavery
She is a big filly that should have won before now. She has run some very good races, but we’ll keep her on the go and hopefully she’ll win a race or two on nice ground. She is very genuine and takes her racing well – she just needs a change of luck and she appears to be well suited by seven furlongs.
PICK OF ANY
3yo b g (905570)
Zoffany - Choice Pickings
D J Maher
I think he could be a big Saturday horse. He tries to do everything in one breath. He just has to settle and learn to relax, but he has loads of ability. He is a horse with a lot of pace and when he learns to do everything right, I think he’ll develop into a pretty good horse.
ROMIAC
4yo bg (00098)
Kodiac - Romanylei
John Lavery
He has just fallen out of love with the game. He is out in the field at the minute and I will school him to see if that will help. He needs an ease in the ground and a mile is his trip.
SECRET WIZARD
3yo ch g (6874-743)
Sakhee’s Secret - Truly Magic
John Lavery
I’d be very disappointed if he doesn’t win his maiden. He has lot of pace and mentally he has improved a lot this year. I can see him getting a mile, but he needs good ground and I think he’ll improve with racing.
SEVENLEFT
3yo b c (2711-4308)
Manduro - Fleeting Affair
John Lavery
I was disappointed with his run the last day at the Curragh, but his bloods were all wrong so that would account for that performance. I think there is a big day in this horse and his work has always been good. He will be well entered up and he is back right again now. We took him away on Tuesday and that went well. If all is good with him we’ll kick on with him again. He can’t handle soft ground so I hope he doesn’t run out of ground. The big seven-furlong handicap on Champions Weekend is an option for him and I can see him getting a mile in time.
TRUFFLES
3yo b f (0-63)
Canford Cliffs - Parlour
John Lavery
She is a homebred. She ran very well at Galway and she didn’t appear to face the kick back before that at Dundalk. She is a sweet, genuine filly and I think she’ll win an ordinary maiden. She is getting stronger as she is eating better. We might try her again in Dundalk at some stage, but we like her and she is getting better all the time.
ULTRA THEF
3yo b g (08)
Haatef - Non Ultra
Sheila Lavery
He is a homebred that I sold as a foal but I bought him back as a yearling. He hasn’t been easy to ride at home, but he has turned the corner. He is learning all the time and the more racing he does the better. He will find his own grade in handicaps.
UNNAMED
3yo b c
Zebedee - Miss Glitters
He has taken a bit of time and he is around a month off a run. He goes well at home and I like him.
TWO-YEAR-OLDS
DESERT DANCER
2yo b f (7)
Kheleyf - Parlour
John Lavery
She is a homebred that ran well on her only start. I really like her and she came home well at Naas. I can see her getting a mile and hopefully she’ll win her maiden and progress from there. She wants good ground.
HILLCREST FIRE
2yo b f (6)
Fast Company - Firecrest
John Lavery
She was a bit green on her first run, but she finished out her race well and I think she’ll win her maiden this year. She is best with an ease in the ground and she is a filly that we like. She could be smart.
MR SCARLET
2yo b g (41)
Dandy Man - Scarlet Buttons
John Lavery
He’ll go for the Round Tower. I didn’t look for anything straight after (his victory) at Naas – I just want to get him a bit slimmer and fitter. Gary said after he rode him the first day at Fairyhouse that he’d win the second day and he is just a smart horse. He has always shown us plenty at home and I loved him at the sales last year. He just needed the run the first day and six furlongs suits him well. He likes good ground and I’d like to think that there is more to come from him. There has been a lot of interest in him and we have turned down good money for him. John is keen to get some black type for him and then we’ll see.
ZEEYALATER
2yo b g (40)
Zebedee - Later
Wascana Syndicate
He is a horse that we like. Things didn’t work out for him at Cork - the ground was pretty soft down there. His work would suggest that he might win a country maiden and he will I think, make into a nice handicapper next year, as he is a speedy horse.
FACTFILE
Name: Sheila Lavery
Address: Chinook, Agher, Summerhill, Co Meath
Telephone: 353469558786
Mobile: 353 862595572
Numbers: 24
Jockeys: I like to use Pat (Smullen) when I can get him. Ronan Whelan and Gary Carroll have been lucky for me and they are very good riders.