COLIN Bowe might be in the midst of a key period in his business year but you wouldn’t know it. He is happy to shoot the breeze about anything and everything, chilled to the extent that you would think he had nothing else on at all. Laidback to the point of horizontal. Pressure? What pressure? A sound man.

CB: “How are ya going?”

DÓC: “Grand thanks. Have the digger out laying the foundation for a few stables. Just bought a new place, fencing off a few paddocks and things.”

CB: “Good man.”

DÓC: “It’s great.”

CB: “Of course it is. What did you buy?”

DÓC: “A bungalow in the country after 14 years in an estate. There’s six acres. My wife has a horse of her own and a pony for a friend.”

CB: “Well done. You have more land than I have, lad.”

DÓC: “F**k off!”

CB: “I’m serious!

Excuse the profanity but it is hard to imagine that the man who finishes the point-to-point season as champion handler for the fourth time, romping clear with a lead of 15 winners prior to this weekend’s concluding fixtures in Ballingarry and Kinsale, could be so dominant from such a small base.

As if a remarkable strike-rate of more than 20% (34 winners from 167 runners) wasn’t enough, Bowe has also managed to raise his game considerably in the sales ring.

The graduates of Milestone Stables in Kiltealy, just outside Enniscorthy, have always been popular - producing winners at the last four Cheltenham Festivals in Same Difference, Western Warhorse, The Druids Nephew and Ballyalton - but having made the decision to increase the quality of store purchases 12 months ago, Bowe was rewarded in some style as they went under the hammer this year.

Samcro proved the headline act, as top lot at Aintree last April, realising a mind-boggling £335,000 just five days after bolting up at Monksgrange.

By Faugheen’s sire Germany, and from the family of some fine achievers including Sound Man (just saying), the chesnut was bought by regular Gigginstown agent Mags O’Toole and is destined to continue his career with Gordon Elliott.

Ironically, Eddie O’Leary was the underbidder when breeder Douglas Taylor bought Samcro back at the Goffs Land Rover Sale for €95,000, believing his charge to be a future Gold Cup horse in the making. Showing a keen sense of humour, Taylor initially attempted to name his pride and joy Aer Lingus - something else Michael O’Leary couldn’t buy - but wasn’t permitted.

If Samcro goes all the way, it will be a serious feather in Bowe’s cap but one senses there is real excitement around the prospects of Timewaitsfornoone.

A €34,000 purchase at Tattersalls that turned over an odds-on Gigginstown favourite at Tinahely, having finished second to an O’Leary charge at Punchestown seven days earlier, the Oscar gelding was bought by Gerry Hogan for Barry Connell at the Cheltenham Festival sale for £225,000, another top lot.

At the same sale, Lingstown victor Daklondike made £140,000 and will go into training with David Pipe, who trained Western Warhorse to win the Arkle Chase in 2014.

IMPORTANT TIME

So the significance of the Goffs Land Rover NH Sale next week and Tattersalls Ireland Derby Sale towards the end of the month cannot be downplayed.

“What you buy now, you’re looking for for the year,” says Bowe.

“If you make a mistake now you’re paying the price down the line so it’s definitely the most important time. Last year proved it. I bought better horses and I got better results. It’s competitive enough so you need a nice horse or you won’t do.”

While the likes of John Nallen and the Slattery brothers have done well buying three-year-olds and moving them on at four, most of the really successful operators seem to be based in Wexford. Apart from Bowe, the Doyle brothers, Willie Codd, Denis Murphy and Michael Goff are flourishing.

They enjoy a good bit of banter but are ultra-serious about their business. Such is the relatively small market at the very top end, winning a point isn’t sufficient on its own.

“You need a good mover, you need a correct horse and you need a fashionable sire. That’s if you’re looking to get big money. You’ll sell every horse at a level but if you want to aim at the higher end of it, winning isn’t good enough.”

The major players are looking for Cheltenham winners now.

“Everything is after changing because the syndicates are gone. The lads with the real money - Gigginstown, (Alan) Potts, Barry Connell, all the good trainers like Willie Mullins and Gordon Elliott, all the bigger lads - they don’t want an average horse. So you have to try and have a horse that suits that market.

“They’re not all going to work out. You’re going to sell a horse at what it cost and at every level of the market. Having lads to buy the cheaper ones are more important than anything because there are more of them. Everyone wants the good horse but not everyone can buy him.

“Stores probably cost an average of €30,000-€40,000 now and they all have size and scope. It’s very, very competitive... Only for England... it’s easier to win with horses there. Only for that market, it’d be no good.

“If you buy a horse and it doesn’t win, but gets placed a couple of times, he’s guaranteed to win his race in England. If he’s been third twice and you’re hoping to get your money back or as close as possible, he’s guaranteed to win in England. Guaranteed.”

The top lot will always get you attention but if buying 25-30 stores as Bowe will do, there will be disappointments. And when you add commission to the purchase price and the guts of €10,000 per horse to break and train them, it all adds up.

“I’ll give an example. I gave €45,000 for a Yeats horse called Lost Frequency. He was fourth, third and won and we got back what we paid for him. They got three looks at him, they knew what level he was at... he’ll win away in England no problem but they don’t all make it.”

While his own premises is small, he does have around 60 stables, an all-weather gallop, a schooling strip and two walkers. He uses a strip of land from the family farm now worked by his brother after the recent death of his father and avails of other facilities too. Indeed the travel is seen as an important part of the prepping process for a racehorse.

“The four-year-olds need to be professional,” says assistant trainer, Brendan Walsh. “Going away is part of the education. It keeps their minds right. We don’t push them hard though. Colin doesn’t do schooling bumpers for example. You want to leave a bit of improvement.”

The roll of honour in the panel on these pages is proof of the ability of the team at Milestone to do just that. The clients would not keep returning otherwise.

Bowe emphasises the role of the collective. Walsh is a key cog but this wouldn’t happen without having a group of people you trust, particularly when it comes to riding work and schooling.

Bartosz ‘Barty’ Walczak is from Poland but has been at Milestone for 10 years. Dermot ‘Charlie’ Swan is also a senior figure and combines his duties with the invaluable physio work done on the horses.

Matthew Byrne, David Cogley, Richie Black and Craig Casey join jockeys Barry O’Neill and Rob James as work riders, while Sean and Denis Atkinson, Peter Kavanagh and Kenneth O’Connor come in at weekends.

Meanwhile, wife Fiona attends to much of the administration, while also keeping an eye on Katie (10), Amy (6) and Bobby (4).

Bowe served his time under Jim Bolger, and spent a while with fellow Coolcullen product Aidan O’Brien in Owning before going out on his own 11 years ago and promptly training his first winner, via future Sun Alliance Chase second and Grand National third, Snowy Morning at a Clonmel point on May 8th. He values his staff highly.

GOOD RIDERS

“I’ve plenty good lads. If you haven’t got good lads you’re in trouble because four-year-olds need good riders. If you haven’t got a good rider on a four-year-old, they won’t win. You need a natural horseman.

“It wouldn’t be a hard place to work. We get on and so long as the work is done, it’s grand. We don’t run it like a prison. It’s a bit of craic.”

A bit different from the Bolger approach then. “Oh Jesus, no comparison. Jim is a great man but it wouldn’t be as strict as Jim’s here!”

At present, he ploughs all his revenue back into the business. “So far... hopefully maybe in the next couple of years I’ll be able to start maybe doing something different. But so far, everything goes back either into the yard or replacing the horses.”

Even before it became the model of choice for point-to-point handlers, Bowe always enjoyed trading

“I was always tricking. I used to train plenty six-year-old horses and five-and-up mares but that end of it is after dying now. Everything is gone very professional, especially in Wexford. But the lad with the cheap mare or six-year-old gelding, that’s dying a death now... which is not good. I would say of all the horses in Wexford, there’s probably 80% of them three and four-year-olds. That’s where the money is.”

The market dictates but it’s leaving its mark then on the point-to-point scene. Bowe tells of six-runner four-year-old maidens.

“There are hunts struggling. I know there are. We had a second meeting at Monksgrange but a few of us had to give a few quid sponsorship to get the thing going. So they are under pressure.

“I love the game. I don’t mind having one or two for the track. If an owner has a mare and she’s a good mare, I get a good kick out of that but it’s not what I do.”

Model County Lass provided him with his first winner under Rules at Tramore in 2010. Our Victoria, Askanna and Little King Robin were other mares to flourish on the track.

“I was just lucky. None of them were bought. They were all left in to be trained, just local farmers bringing them in and after they won their points, didn’t want to sell them. Most of what lads leave in are average, most of the nice horses are gone to the sales. You’d be lucky to get a nice filly maybe.

“I’d say 90% of what I would run on the track would be fillies for breeders. Either that or it would be a horse that the owner didn’t want to sell or it had an injury or some other reason it wasn’t sold.”

Shantou Flyer is a rarity for Bowe runners on the track in that he is a gelding. He provided Bowe with his first Cheltenham winner at the Showcase meeting last year and then bagged the Florida Pearl Chase.

“Sean is a retired farmer and he gets a kick out of it. When you get someone like that, who’s retired and money doesn’t make much of a difference to him, you’d get a great kick out of that. But I’d say I would count what I won on the track with geldings on two hands.”

He only needs one to record the number of flat winners, maiden hurdle winner Tawseef breaking the duck at Gowran last year and following up in Roscommon.

“It’s a bit of a change!” he laughs but there are no plans to make a career switch in that direction.

He laughed too when Clondaw Warrior flew home under Ryan Moore to win the Ascot Stakes last summer.

“He must be the only point-to-point horse to win a race at Royal Ascot surely! Though I can’t be much of a trainer when I couldn’t win a point with him.”

There is no doubt about which former charge gave him the greatest thrill though.

“The Arkle would have to be the biggest one. We won a point-to-point with Western Warhorse and sold him and that was a big kick.”

PRINCE CHARLES

Bowe would like to have a horse for anyone that comes knocking. He even sold one to Prince Charles, when the heir to the British throne paid a visit to Sligo races with his wife Camilla.

The Duke and Duchess of Cornwall Mares’ Maiden Hurdle was named in honour of the occasion and Mollyanna took the spoils. Prince Charles moved quickly to purchase the mare.

“I actually wasn’t there that day. I was over in sales, so I missed all that. David O’Connor was on duty for me. They bought the mare but unfortunately she got injured after.”

Rising costs provide the biggest challenge for Bowe and operators of a similar business model.

“The horses are becoming more expensive to buy, which is a bit of a problem, although it’s good for the vendors. But the horse that you’d like to have is getting expensive and the problem there is that if he’s no good you take a big hit.

“It’s important in my game to mix and match. You need the old reliables there all the time. You can’t plough into a young horse, as it might be no good. But if you have the old reliables and throw in a few nice fillies... mix and match. Because if someone comes into your yard, you don’t want to say they all cost €30,000. Have a horse to suit all trade. That’s the best way to stay going.”

And so the next few weeks are critical, when the stock is replenished and the fortunes for the next 12 months will be determined. And it can be a long 12 months as you might know your fate very quickly.

“That’s the bad bit about it. When you bring them home and lunge them and give them a little jump, you’d nearly know after the first week or 10 days. You’d know their jumping and you’d know their temperament. You wouldn’t be always right but you’d have a fair idea.”

You must be sick when you realise you’ve gotten it wrong?

“Puking.”

And with that he laughs.

“Get back to the digger.”

Sound man.

Colin Bowe Graduates

Shinrock Paddy (6 wins - Grade 1 Barry & Sandra Kelly Novice Hurdle, Grade 3 Limestone Lad Hurdle)

Western Warhorse (3 wins - Grade 1 Arkle Chase)

Snowy Morning (9 wins - Grade 2 Ten Up Novice Chase)

Jonniesofa (3 wins - Grade 2 Prestige Novices’ Hurdle)

Clondaw Kaempfer (4 wins - Grade 3 Alder Hey Children’s Charity Hurdle, Tattersalls Sales Bumper)

Katachenko (4 wins - Grade 3 Red Rum Chase)

The Druids Nephew (4 wins - Grade 3 Ultima Business Solutions Chase)

Ballyalton (6 wins - Listed Close Brothers Novices’ Chase)

Clondaw Warrior (10 wins - Ascot Stakes, November Handicap)

Same Difference (4 wins - Kim Muir Challenge Cup)

And those he kept

Askanna (7 wins - Grade 2 Irish Daily Mirror Novice Hurdle, Grade 3 John Fowler Mares’ Chase)

Little King Robin (8 wins - Grade 2 WKD Hurdle, Listed Grabel Hurdle)

Shantou Flyer (5 wins - Grade 2 Florida Pearl Chase)