PRYDWEN, a 60th birthday present from my wife, provided a rather poignant success in winning the Kingdom Gold Cup at Killarney last week. For the last six years, my brother Ian and I had held ambitions of having a winner at that August meeting. Sadly, Ian passed away less than three weeks ago, so never got to see that dream come to fruition. 

Growing up in Dublin in the late sixties, I didn’t have much interest in racing. Although my dad Joe would have followed the horses, I was mad into rugby. That would have been my main sport right up into my teenage years. It was only when I met my future wife Mary at 17, that I started to take an interest in racing. Her family were keen racegoers and I would have attended Leopardstown over Christmas with Mary and her dad John. After my Leaving Cert, I studied Civil Engineering in Bolton Street. In 1984, as soon as I completed my exams, Mary and I headed off to London. Like everyone, it was initially just supposed to be for a year but having built a life in England, we never moved back. 

After three years in London, we moved to Essex in 1987. I worked in the construction utilities business with a partner, Mike Morris. He was big into racing, so over time, my interest developed further. We would have had boxes for corporate clients at some of the major meetings such as Royal Ascot and Glorious Goodwood. In 2009, I took my first steps into ownership with a horse called Regeneration. He was initially trained by Simon Callaghan before later moving to Michael Bell. Regeneration won five races for us, so I was bitten by the bug from then on! Another horse, George Cinq, named after the hotel in Paris, won six times. Having got to know George Scott during his time as assistant trainer to Michael (Bell), I moved a couple of horses over to him when he set up on his own in 2015. 

Ownership

I now have 11 horses in training with George (Scott); some in my own name, others in partnerships. I am involved in a syndicate that buys eight yearlings every season, which are raced as two-year-olds before subsequently being sold. Although we received a large offer from America for one of the current crop, Griselda, four of us banded together to buy her back. Mike Morris and I also have a horse with Michael Bell, whom Mike bred. Having went public and floated the business, I retired from work in 2017.

We moved to Cornwall, which being over 350 miles away, means I don’t get to the yard as much. However, I speak to George (Scott) on the phone most days - Mary says I talk to him more than her! I got to know Mike Lilley, the manager of Blue Starr Racing, through my involvement in Captain Kane. That horse, who won seven times in 2022, ended up being the joint winning-most flat horse of that season. Just before Royal Ascot in June, one of the syndicate members dropped out of Prydwen, so Mike approached me about stepping in. I am going to be sixty this year, so Mary bought me the share as a birthday present. Prydwen’s first run for me was in the Ascot Gold Cup. Although the ground was too quick for him on the day, it was amazing to just be involved in such a prestigious race.

After buying a holiday home in Glengarriff six years ago, the Killarney August Festival became an annual family trip. My brother Ian, who lived in Tullamore, would have accompanied us each year. He was just as keen as I was to have a runner at the meeting. I had been trying to get George to bring a horse over for the last five years. A few weeks back, George picked out the Kingdom Gold Cup for Prydwen. Having spoken to Mike (Lilley), it was agreed that we would travel the horse to Ireland. Mary and I had been over in Tullamore while Ian was ill. We only buried him the week before the race.

Family affair

Two of our daughters and grandkids joined us in Glengarriff on the Tuesday, before we all headed down to Killarney to see Prydwen run. Daughters Jessica, Grace, Lydia and Alicia have inherited our love for racing. Sons-in-law, Greg and Amo didn’t have a choice once they married into the family! When I picked George up from the airport the day of the race, the rain was biblical. He turned to me and said: “If we were at home, he wouldn’t be running.”

Having come this far, we had to let him take his chance, despite the concern about the soft ground. Joseph O’Brien, whom George had phoned the previous week, recommended Wayne Hassett for the ride. It was definitely a good call, as Wayne was fantastic on Prydwen. The grandkids enjoyed the day but were disappointed that having won the Kingdom Gold Cup, there was no actual cup! 

Ian’s absence made it bittersweet but it was lovely to get that first winner in Ireland. I hope I can bring a horse back next year again! Off a new rating of 112, Prydwen will be contesting listed and group races from now on. We hope to bring him to Dubai over the winter, as he had previously shown good form on the all-weather. Having ticked Killarney off the list, I’d love to have a winner at Royal Ascot. I’ve promised George that if he can deliver that, I’ll take him to Vegas! 

Keith Breen was in conversation with John O’Riordan.