Q: What was the standout moment of the year for you, personally or professionally?

Peter Roe (PR): Fairyhouse winning Racecourse of the Year at the 2024 Horse Racing Ireland Awards was a huge achievement for our whole team. Everyone works so hard here and, when I’ve been managing the racecourse for a long time, it was fantastic to see the track be recognised like that.

People are very quick to tell you when things are wrong – and rightly so – but there are so many areas of a racecourse to keep on top of and I think it’s a great acknowledgement for everyone here.

Kevin Coleman (KC): The Palace Girl selling for 1.55 million guineas at Tattersalls would have to be my standout moment.

Katie Walsh (KW): It had to be the Craven Breeze-Up Sale, and selling Anno Domini and Arabian Dusk. For them to breeze so well and to sell so well, and then to go on to be good - I got a huge kick out of that, personally and professionally. [Anno Domini and Arabian Dusk each sold for 525,000gns. The former won his first two starts and is rated 103, while the filly won a Group 2 and was Group 1-placed]

Sean Flanagan (SF): The whole Punchestown Festival this year was a standout for me. Unfortunately, Keith Donoghue was injured, but it meant that I got to replace him on a few horses and rode three winners. When you go to Punchestown, Cheltenham or Aintree, riding any winner is good, so three at Punchestown was a standout.

Q: Can you share one of the biggest challenges you faced this year and how you overcame it?

PR: I’d have to say watering – it’s a big issue. We water in-house ourselves now and were so fortunate to work with Jim Ryan, and subsequently his son Sean. Watering sounds like such an easy job, but that’s never the case. As I always say, watering is just like using a chainsaw... Anyone can use the system, but getting it all to land in the right spot and doing it correctly is another thing. On the whole, I think it’s a challenge that goes back to the impact the environment is having too.

KC: Trying to keep owners happy, when the costs are high has been a struggle. It costs a lot of money to keep ordinary horses, and 60% of the racehorse population is in that ordinary grade. With the prize money being so low, it doesn’t make any sense having them, but they’re still the majority of horses in training. It makes it harder for owners to get involved. We’ve overcome that by selling everything, whether it’s at a profit or a loss. We’re basically reliant on Australia, America, Eastern Europe and the middle East. They take the lower-end horses that don’t pay their way here.

We’re supposedly the best racing nation in the world, but we’re more reliant on them than they are on us. We sold one of our horses to Kazakhstan this year; she won a race and was a competitive filly, but there was still no point keeping her. If you’re willing to sell them at a big loss, it’s great that they can still have a racing career.

KW: The biggest challenge was trying to buy them. You know, it was very hard to get the stock that you wanted, and I suppose I partially overcame it by joining forces with other people.

SF: Between riding, having a young family and starting the valeting business, time has been a big issue for me. I’ve got great staff in the weighroom, but making time for everything was difficult. I’m learning how to manage my time better as I go.

Q: What are your hopes or goals in

racing for 2025?

PR: On a similar theme, I hope the weather gives us more of a chance next year, that it’s more consistent. This time last year, we lost schooling days and fixtures due to rain, yet it’s been unusually mild and dry at times more recently. A little rain when it’s supposed to rain, and dry weather when it’s supposed to be dry, would help us all.

KC: To have a few more winners, but that wouldn’t be very hard!

KW: My goal is to produce top-class horses, and that the end-user is happy.

SF: I think most people would want more winners, but I just want a consistent flow. We’re always looking for that one horse that’s going to take us to the next level. I’ve got my leg across Marine Nationale this year and he could be that one, but with the young horses, you’re looking for that one that’s yours to ride.

Q: Name a horse who you have high hopes for in 2025.

PR: I think we saw two really exciting names to note at Fairyhouse last Saturday. Majborough was really impressive on his chasing debut and I thought Future Prospect looked very exciting in her bumper.

When I first arrived at Fairyhouse, people did have concerns about our inside track and it had its issues, but now people are happy to run their good horses here. I love seeing good horses progress from winning here.

KC: We’re looking forward to Kasper Hauser and Naval Ensign. They’re two two-year-olds owned by Atomic Racing that had promising debuts this year.

KW: I’ve got to go for dad’s horse, Shuffle The Deck, the one that won at Naas recently.

SF: A horse of Paul Nolan’s called Release The Beast. It’s a horse that I’ve spoken about loads throughout the years.

He hasn’t had loads of runs, but I think he has the ability to be a very good horse. He finished third in a beginners’ chase in Punchestown behind Ballyburn. He could be a horse that will make it to the next level.

Q: Name another member of your profession, who you think is one to watch in 2025.

PR: Looking ahead to what’s coming up for Irish racecourses in the new year, it looks like it will be a big 2025 for Andrew Hogan, with the development of the new all-weather track at Tipperary. That’s going to be a very interesting project to watch unfold and deserves a huge mention, given it’s the first time in several years that Ireland has produced a new track.

KC: Sean Davis had no run of luck training this year, but he’s trying very hard. He helped me a lot when I started, so I hope he can get more success next year. Himself and Gary Halpin have undertaken a lot and fair play to them, because it’s not easy.

KW: I think they’re all ones to watch – it’s a high-risk game, it’s very competitive and I wish them all the best of luck.

SF: Conor Stone-Walsh is a great young rider. He’s still got his 5lb claim and his head is well screwed on. Jack Kearney is another one, they’re both very grounded and level-headed. They might just make it.

Q: What changes would you like to see in the Irish racing industry next year?

PR: More cooperation between the various groups in the industry; we all have to accept that we’re working for the same goal. At times, I feel we’re pulling in various different directions and people don’t see the bigger picture when they’re focused on their own interests.

We’re coming more under the microscope for what we’re doing in racing and we have to be careful. We have the social licence to race and need to be mindful that we all work together and see what’s going on for the greater good.

For example, we lost our Grade 1 status for the Royal Bond Novice Hurdle at Fairyhouse this year. Did I want that to happen? Absolutely not. But it was part of the pattern reshuffle that was felt to be needed by those making the decision.

In life, you can’t win all your battles and need to pick the ones you engage in. In my view, too many people are looking to fight too many battles. We’re all trying our best.

KC: Prize money is horrendous over here, that’s why I go to England the whole time. People give out about England’s prize money, but it’s hard to get into races over here and you’ve always got full fields.

You’re running for the same prize money as we were in 2007, but the costs of training have trebled.

It doesn’t make any sense for a person to own a horse. Even if you have a good one, you have to sell it.

We had Akecheta this year, she ran five or six times, either winning or placing on every occasion and it still didn’t cover her training costs. She’s in the better 20% of horses in the country and she still can’t pay her way.

When I was riding in 2007, the prize money was the same and you could train a horse for less than half of what it costs now. All of my owners are in syndicates, because the day of one person owning a horse is gone.

KW: I think RACE is a huge loss and the industry is really struggling for staff. I think something needs to be put in place to encourage young people to get involved in a great industry that has huge opportunities.

It’s really hard to get staff at the moment. I know a lot of people didn’t benefit from RACE, but we did, because we used to get one or two every year sent out from RACE.

Even listening to Roger Loughran on TheHorse.ie - when he went to RACE, there were 600 applicants in RACE. Imagine 600 young people wanted to work in the industry. There’s nowhere for them now to get in.

SF: The closure of the saunas has been detrimental to riders. I’ve been quite vocal on the issue, so riders often come to me with their problems about it, and lads are having to sweat in their cars on the way to the races. It’s just wrong.

There are still saunas at the racecourses that we’re not allowed to use, but if you go to the likes of Leopardstown or Galway, they’ll give you a voucher to use the facilities at a nearby hotel. It’s probaby intended for the gym, and it’s very nice of them, but the vouchers just get used for the saunas there.