THREE months ago, while driving up and down to the Curragh, during the trainers’ course, I had no idea when I would even have my first runner. At that time, I couldn’t ever have foreseen that I would end up training a bumper winner at the Leopardstown Christmas Festival. Karate Kid, just my second runner since taking out the licence, gave me a first-ever winner when landing the closing race on the Friday.

I didn’t come from a racing background, although my father Michael would have gone to point-to-points and local race meetings. Other than that, I had no real exposure to horses until later in life. I would have been in my early twenties when my dad arrived home from the mart one afternoon with a thoroughbred mare.

To be honest, neither of us had a clue what we were doing but decided to put her in foal to Fourstars Allstar. We later sent the foal, who was named Drive On, to local (Limerick) trainer Charles Byrnes. He ended up doing quite well, winning his maiden hurdle at the old Tralee track, before following up in his novice in Limerick.

I went on to work for Charles for a couple of years; a great experience, in which I learned so much. Charles, who is one of the best trainers in the country, was and still is, very good to me.

Having put a few pounds together, I returned home to the family farm, where I built a gallop and bought a store horse. I trained that horse, who I named Lismakeery, right up until a few days before he made his bumper debut. As I didn’t have a licence, I sent him to Michael Butler in Kilkenny.

I had been friendly with Michael since we both worked together at Charles Byrnes’ yard. After winning first time out, Lismakeery was later sold to J.P. McManus. Having struck lucky at the first attempt, I thought I was a genius that knew everything! Racing was an easy game, or so I thought. I ended up reinvesting the money from the sale of Lismakeery in five or six store horses, who all turned out to be useless!

An expensive lesson

Looking back on it now, I just wasn’t ready. I lacked the knowledge and bought badly. I wasn’t up to it at that time in my life. However, I took a completely different viewpoint. I became totally disillusioned. I had made a lot of money from selling Lismakeery but blew it all. I believed that trading in horses was a complete waste of time and money. In reality, it was more a case of bad timing.

I went farming part-time, milking cows. I stepped away from horses for several years, having no real interest to go back in. As had been the case years earlier, it was my father that reignited the spark. In 2012, he just went out and bought two broodmares. As they were put in foal to relatively cheap sires, there was no real prospect of putting them back in the sales.

I broke and pre-trained the first of the foals, before we again sent him to Charles Byrnes. Named Curramore, he won his bumper in Sligo, before we sold him on to the UK where he won three-times afterwards. A chance meeting with Richard O’Brien led me back into working with horses. Richard, who had just returned from working with David O’Meara, had recently set up on his own.

An innovative trainer, I was fascinated by his way of doing things. It certainly showed me how stale my own way of doing things had become. Curlew Hill, the foal of that second broodmare my father bought, finished third in a Thurles bumper for Richard, before I sold him to Gordon Elliott.

Encouraged by the success of those two bumper horses, I began to trade again. Impulsive Dancer, who was one of the first I bought with Richard, won his bumper in Naas before being sold to Willie Mullins. Base Of Fire, another that we owned, was sold privately to the same connections before running for us.

John Hayes, the owner of Karate Kid, was involved with Shanbally Kid in Richard’s at the time. He was also sold on to Willie Mullins after easily winning his bumper in Clonmel. Springs A Girl won on her bumper debut at Listowel before being sold to the UK. I also ended up getting involved in a couple of flat horses which did well and were moved on after.

Taking the next step

In April, I finished up working for Richard as it was just getting too busy at home. My brother Aidan has taken more of an active interest in the last few years. John Hayes and his brother Dan, who are huge supporters of ours, had been on to me about buying more young store horses.

Ray Barron, a good friend of mine and local jockey Gary Noonan were also very vocal in encouraging me to take that next step.

It had been the intention that I would train Karate Kid for his debut at Fairyhouse before Christmas. However, my licence wasn’t through in time, so John Hayes took charge on the day. John, who also owns the horse, was considering selling after Karate Kid finished second but Ray Barron felt that the horse was much better than that bare form.

Ray felt that Karate Kid deserved another chance to show his true worth, as he had run very green and hated the ground at Fairyhouse. You can never go into any Irish bumper confident of beating one of Willie’s but we felt sure that Karate Kid had improved and would be in the mix at Leopardstown.

Thankfully, he proved that our confidence wasn’t misplaced. John is happy to sell at Cheltenham on January 25th, then reinvest some of the funds going forward. Both Dan and himself already have store horses with me. The ambition would be to have up to 15 young horses every year, retaining an interest in each of them.

I’m not looking for handicappers, just young horses with plenty of upside. With those, you are working with a clean slate, so can put your own mark on them. I’m not saying it’s going to be easy but it’s what I really want to do. Having learned hard lessons in the past, I feel that I am now ready to put that experience to good use.

Colm was in conversation with John O’Riordan.