IN RECOGNITION of BBA Ireland’s longstanding sponsorship of today’s featured Opera Hat Mares’ Steeplechase, a listed race, Naas Racecourse commissioned an illustrated interview with Valerie Cooper, wife of the late Tom Cooper who founded the bloodstock agency in 1962.

The interview was conducted by Robert Hall and it features several aspects of Valerie’s life – from her childhood growing up in Co Cork and her successful international show jumping achievements to her life as a bloodstock agent’s wife when Tom was responsible for buying no fewer than five Derby winners and two Grand National winners.

A scion of the famous Beamish brewing family, Valerie kept scrapbooks all through this period and many cuttings and photographs are displayed in the Bit Media-produced video which can be viewed on the Naas Racecourse website.

A letter, written by Tom to Raymond Guest in the late summer of 1960, is included. It is prophetic. In it the bloodstock agent describes a yearling colt by Never Say Die that he has just viewed as “about the most flawless individual I have ever seen. He is medium sized and has it every way. I think he will make about 15,000 guineas. At that price he must be good potential value.”

Tom ends his letter by stating “I would like to imagine you leading in a Derby winner at Epsom”. The advice was taken and the colt, bought for 12,200gns and subsequently named Larkspur, would win racing’s Blue Riband in one of the most dramatic renewals of the race.

Opera Hat, herself, was also purchased as a yearling but for a fraction of the money, shortly before Tom died. Her 15 victories in Valerie’s colours, and in the co-ownership of Carolyn Waters, included the Grade 1 Mumm Melling Steeplechase at Aintree, but she is best remembered for her sterling exploits at Naas where, against top company, she was successful on nine occasions.

In a twist of fate, having been sold at the end of her racing career “for an offer we couldn’t refuse”, and having then proved of no use at stud in England, Opera Hat was secretly bought back by Valerie’s son, Patrick, as a surprise Christmas present for his mother from the family.

Fowler family

With the help and care of the late Lady ‘Chich’ Fowler (whose husband, John, had trained her), and now covered by Robin Des Champs, Opera Hat was ‘back home’ and her fortunes changed again. The resulting offspring was Woodland Opera, a winner nine times in Mrs Cooper’s colours, twice in Grade 2 company and twice at the Punchestown Festival.

Robert Hall conducts the interview in his own inimitable style, and his own passion and interest is evident. A modest Valerie Cooper, whose contribution to racing goes well beyond being a bloodstock agent’s wife or a successful owner and breeder, has loved her life, and she continues to enjoy it thanks to her roles as a steward, and following the successful careers of her daughter Diana, and her sons Alan and Patrick. Her pride in the journalistic career of her late son Jonathan is also touching.

Willie Mullins has won the last four runnings of today’s race, and he bids to extend that sequence to five with last year’s successful mare, Elimay.