AFTER Crystal Black won at the Curragh on Guineas weekend, we began to think about (Royal) Ascot. On that performance he had earned his ticket to go. I never had any concern about stepping up in trip although faster going was the one unknown.

I was confident he could be in the frame provided he went on the ground but you obviously wouldn’t approach a meeting like that expecting anything more. To win was just brilliant, for the whole family and the Wear A Pink Ribbon Syndicate. Much has been written about future plans but for now we are just going to enjoy the win before sitting down together to discuss our options. 

My father was a small trainer. First of all, he would have trained privately for a big farmer Jimmy Wilson, before taking out his own licence in the mid-sixties. He enjoyed plenty of success, especially with a sprinter called Profit Expected who won a good few races.

Horsing around

We grew up riding ponies at pony club, hunting and show jumping. There wouldn’t have been much flapping in those days but we did gymkhanas at the local shows. There was always a big sale on the Saturday of the Dublin Horse Show at the RDS. We would have been buying and selling ponies there over the years.  

I rode as an amateur for a couple of years, mostly for my dad. I had plenty of rides but obviously wasn’t very good at it! After leaving school early, I served my time as a farrier. That would have been my main job throughout the eighties; I actually only gave it up in the last few years. I would have shod for Michael Cunningham during the late seventies when he was based in Nobber. After he moved up here to Trim in 1982, I rode out for him as well.

I continued to do both, shoeing and riding out for Michael, for 12 years. I shod for Tom McCourt as well. A small group of us bought a mare, Amme Enaek, who we had with Tom. After I took out the permit in 1995, she was transferred to my care. That mare became by first winner when winning a point-to-point at Summerhill the following year. She was also my first under rules when winning a hunter chase at Dundalk on her very next start. 

Lessen the workload

Cheeky Harry was another good horse. Brian Reilly bought him out of Michael Cunningham’s and he won three for us. I never really depended on the training for a living. I was still shoeing for a lot of different trainers, including Noel Meade for five years. I hurt my back so I had to cut back on the workload after that but still shod for Tom McCourt and a few smaller local trainers.

Simple Dolly was a nice mare that won four-in-a-row during the late nineties. Ragglepuss won five for us around the same time. In 1999, I took out the full training licence. Sum Leader won six races for us, including at the Galway Festival. Howaya Pet won seven races, including the Conyngham Cup when it was run at the Punchestown Festival. She was also fourth in an Irish National.

Keen Look and Step Back were two very good sprinters that won plenty of races between them. While I always had a mixed string, I was lucky enough that No Trimmings and The Fox Tully came along just as Colin was starting off. No Trimmings was his first ever winner; I think he rode his first five or six winners for us. 

Colin’s big break

After doing the Leaving Certificate, Colin went to Ger (Lyons), who is only about 10 minutes up the road. He was only there about a year and a half when he was made stable jockey. He still rides work for me the whole time and is a big part of the yard. James Hyland, a good friend of Colin’s who was brought up with us, came in as assistant trainer/head lad a few years back.

My daughter Ali is also full-time with me, while Frank Duffy does the racing for us. After I got a bad fall in 2021, I spent six months in hospital. I was very lucky to have such great help at home - they all kept the show on the road. Laughifuwant had been our best horse in recent years.

After wining the “Ahonoora” at Galway in 2019, he was a bit high in the handicap for a few years but came back to win twice there last season. We came to get Crystal Black through Neville Edger and the lads that had True Self. Neville asked Colin to keep an eye out for one that might suit. He waited until the horse came up in a sale then the lads said to go and buy him. 

Taking time

I couldn’t get him right early. The horse had all sorts of allergies and bled a bit. We decided to train him from outside; a woodchip paddock with a shelter that he could go in and out of as he wanted. Once we got him right, around this time last year, we never looked back.

Given the way he had stayed on when overcoming trouble in running to win over 10 furlongs at the Curragh last month, I was confident about stepping up in trip at Ascot.

He had run well on good ground a few times previously, but being a big horse, he is over 17 hands, I was a bit worried if it came up too quick. He handled the ground without any problems so that opens up more opportunities. The Ebor had been on my mind but he got 8lb for winning at Ascot, so would have near top weight in that now.

There have been a few enquiries about getting him over to run in the Melbourne Cup, while he could also go the listed/group race route. Nothing has been decided at the present time. We will sit down in the coming days and have a chat. It is a nice dilemma to have. 

Gerry Keane was in conversation with John O’Riordan.