Our series on racehorse owners continues with Margaret Nevin

Kildare-based Margaret Nevin of Maypole Stables has been involved for many years in breeding and selling foals with her husband Austin. Their successes as breeders include graded hurdle winner Cailin Annamh.

What was your best day at the races and why?

Empress Toorah’s win at Wexford – the first of her wins – was tremendously exciting but winning by a nose at Roscommon was the highlight for me. We were all there, including my husband, and we all thought she was beaten, mainly due to the camera angle there. There was huge relief when she was called as the winner.

What is the biggest drawback about being a racehorse owner?

It’s virtually impossible to keep money in the HRI account! There’s no problem when the horse is winning, but the account soon gets very light when there’s fees to pay. To keep your horse in-training and running races is very hard on the pocket.

In your experience, which racecourse treats owners the best and why?

We’ve only won at Wexford and Roscommon so I couldn’t really say. We’ve been placed a few times, but we’ve always been treated well. I always feel for the connections of the second and third – they don’t get a look in hospitality-wise. All the horses have done the same amount of work and put in the same effort, so especially in races of 20 or more, there should be some kind of reception in place for placed horses.

Flat or jump racing, which do you prefer and why?

Jumps have always been my thing. But over the last year, I’ve probably changed my mind! Eamonn and Brian have always preferred flat, but years ago we had a point-to-pointer who won at Limerick so that probably started me off.

What qualities do you look for in a trainer?

Sabrina Harty trains Empress Toorah. Her honesty is the main thing which we admire. And her horses are all extremely well cared for. She gets the best from her small string. She’s very knowledgeable and approachable, and there are no ‘ifs and buts’ about her. We only live three miles away from her so her being local to us is very important because we can go over and watch our horse working.

What improvements would you like to see racecourses in Ireland do for owners?

We received badges for Punchestown and Galway which were very much appreciated, especially by small owners. The industry needs small owners for so many reasons, to keep the wheel turning and more should be done for them.

When buying a horse, what do you look for?

I look for a good walk and a good eye and value for money. I look at the horse before I look at the sales book, but they’ve got to have a winning trait and good performing relatives. We mainly breed our own though. We’ve got four mares, who’ve all got a foal each.

What horses do you currently have in training?

We’ve got Empress Toorah and a two-year-old Yeats filly out of an Aga Khan mare who’s in pre-training.

Have you any horses to look forward to?

Our two-year-old is with Sabrina. She thinks the filly is very forward and we’re looking forward to seeing her on the track.

What’s next on the agenda for Empress Toorah?

Empress Toorah is on a break at the moment but she’ll be back racing in the new year. In her last race, she was beaten by Kanes Pass, who went on to win a listed race at Leopardstown. If Empress Toorah can uphold that form, then we’ve lots to look forward to next year with her.

What advice would you give to someone thinking of becoming a racehorse owner?

Be prepared for misfortune; have lots of patience; enjoy the highs; and make sure you’ve got deep pockets! Small owners who get together in partnerships or syndicates should make sure everyone is on the same wavelength and one is not wanting to keep running when the other wants to sell.

AIRO has secured free admission on over 70 racedays this year for registered owners with a horse in training.

UPCOMING FREE DATES

Limerick November 9th

Wexford November 18th

Thurles November 20th

Thurles November 27th

Margaret Nevin was in conversation with Joe Finegan