PETER Fahey has an upbeat disposition that people and horses respond to but he becomes really enthusiastic when the Galway Summer Festival comes up for discussion.

He has knowns success around Ballybrit as a jockey and trainer, and in Peregrine Run, has a leading prospect of further glory.

The family spend the week in the City of the Tribes and though they tend to travel as a group racing anyway, having a house to base themselves is a real treat.

Kate (12), Conor (8) and Lauren (4) know every horse in Roefield Stables and are in thrall to ponies, with Kate a member of the Kildare Hunt Club team that took the spoils at Irish Pony Club minimus championships.

Fahey’s wife Ber is a daughter of Eamonn Leigh, head lad to Jessica Harrington, and it was while they both worked at Commonstown that they began a partnership that has thrived ever since. That they do as much as they can together is important.

“It’s great that they enjoy racing as it’s a hard enough life,” Fahey remarks. “You’re not at home as much as you want to be, to do things with them but we’re lucky enough that the kids enjoy coming racing and we can bring them as much as we can.”

Peregrine Run is a major contender for the Galway Plate but could be redirected for the Galway Hurdle or the valuable Grade B handicap hurdle on Saturday, depending on conditions. The nine-year-old son of King’s Theatre has won his last five races since May, after uncharacteristically falling in the Becher Chase at Aintree.

Sun shining

A kick from a following horse left Barry Geraghty with a broken leg that has sidelined the Meath jockey since. Kevin Sexton has been making hay in Geraghty’s absence and the sun shining is vital to Peregrine Run.

“We’ll just freshen him up for Galway. He doesn’t do much between races; he’s been running very regular so he wouldn’t go away from home or anything. He’ll have a blowout towards the end of next week and that’ll be it.

“We’ve tried him a fewer times on slower ground and it just doesn’t work out with him. He’s a completely different horse on good ground and it’s the best that we’ve got it this summer with him.

“You can see it with his form. I think he’s improved with every run to be honest with you. Every time we’ve gone out he’s stepping up to the mark. He’s enjoying his races and he’s coming out of them better with the good ground too.

“The last run over hurdles, he was keen turning in. I know the weights were down to suit him but he’s in a great frame of mind. He’s enthusiastic, he’s in great old form and when they’re like that, you’re as well off running them.”

Some scoff at the notion that horses know they’ve won and derive confidence from it but Fahey is a fervent believer.

“I think it’s a big thing with them and especially with him. He got a few smacks the first day, and the second day, but the last three runs he hasn’t even gotten touched with the stick. He’s gotten great encouragement from winning.”

The Faheys go back a long way with owner/breeder Vinny Byrne and his wife Rose, who live on the Offaly side of Portarlington, not far from their Monasterevin base.

“I pre-trained a few horses for them and when I started training, they supported me. The first horse I had for them was Peregrine Run’s sister. She was a very good filly but she got leg trouble. Then we were very lucky to get Peregrine Run to come on.

“He was their first winner in Killarney (in a bumper in which Katie Walsh did the steering on August 2015), after trying for a number of years to get a winner. To win 15 races for them is great and we appreciate every one of them.”

Roger Loughran played a major role in Peregrine Run’s development.

“He was a huge help for us. When Sandra (Hughes) finished up, he came working for us. He won nine races on Peregrine, was a huge asset to the yard and he’s still there with us every morning.”

Recording a Grade 2 hurdles success at Cheltenham in November 2016 was a real highlight.

“I know it wasn’t the Festival but to go over there and win (was great). He was after winning three hurdles previous to that and we were going over thinking that if he could run a big race and be placed, we’d be thrilled. To win it gave everyone a great buzz.”

By the time they sorted out a back issue last year, the ground had gone so the Becher became the target. Since then, the races “kept slotting into each other, with lovely conditions” and the gelding goes to Galway in fine fettle.

Fahey sort of fell into training, even though older brothers Seamus, Paul and Jarlath preceded him. He was a multiple champion pony rider and piloted close to 100 winners on the track.

After a long stint with Harrington, he and Ber spent a year in America as work riders before returning home to begin a breaking and pre-training operation.

The recession and the emergences of graded victor Shop Dj moved him into training full-time and there has always been a flagbearer in the interim. Pride Of The Arctic and Owega Star added to the graded CV quickly and since then Xsquared, Alton Bay, Bay Of Freedom, Hamley and Timeforwest are others who have advertised their handler’s talents.

Excitement

Peregrine Run may be the current star but the excitement around the potential of Gypsy Island is palpable.

A five-year-old he picked up with Joey Casey for €6,000 at Tattersalls two years ago, the daughter of Jeremy, out of Presenting mare Thieving Gypsy, ran in Ber’s colours when winning a Ballinrobe bumper by five lengths 11 months ago.

J.P. McManus acquired her subsequently and after finishing second in a maiden hurdle at Navan, she won three more bumpers, including a Grade 3 mares’ contest at the Punchestown Festival last May.

“Joey broke her and pre-trained her. The plan was to go point-to-pointing but after a few months he rang me and said he thought she was too good to go point-to-pointing so he sent her up to me to go for a bumper.

“For Mr McManus to buy her off us and leave her with us, and for her to win three more bumpers was great. For a filly to win four bumpers, you’d be really looking forward to getting her back for the winter.

“In a very small yard like ours, all the owners are delighted when a horse does well. They nearly treat them as their own horses. When you’ve a winner, the other owners would ring you or text you to say ‘well done’. For J.P. to have the confidence to leave her with us gave us all a great buzz.

“We think the filly is very good and fingers crossed, she stays sound and healthy for next season. She has loads of speed and I’m adamant she’ll go on softer ground as well as she’s gone on nicer ground.

The Jeremys generally do and while I’m not sure yet what the plan would be, I’d say she’ll be aimed at some of the mares’ races first and see what happens.” He isn’t one for moaning about having to contend with bigger yards, believing the chances are there for everyone with talent, hard graft, some luck and the willingness to speculate.

Take chances

“I think you have to take chances. We’d buy horses at the sales when we wouldn’t have anyone to buy them off us. We bought three or four stores and we split them up among differently people, some to be sold and some to go on racing. We bought one (on Tuesday) in Ascot and there’s no-one for it yet but we’ve good owners and we don’t go spending huge money. We buy at cheaper budgets and we always find someone for them.

“If you work hard enough, the opportunities are there. You’d always like more horses – we’re around 45 at the moment. We’d never turn one away, we’d go through it and find its level of ability. You’d always be full but never full is how I put it.

“We’ve always been lucky with the horses we sold. We sold Obviously, who went on and won a Breeders’ Cup (the Turf Sprint in 2016). We’ve always sold horses. It’s another way of getting some income in. We’re lucky that Mr McManus bought the nice one off us and left her with us which was another bonus.

“Whoever buys them, we wish them the best of luck with them if they leave the yard. It’s very important to be selling nice ones and if they go out and do something good, you have a client to come back and buy another one off you.

“I have been blessed with good owners, some very well organised syndicates and great staff and we’ll just keep doing what we do.”

All things being equal, the Plate is target number one for Peregrine Run, but the comfortable hurdle success at Galway set the wheels turning in Fahey’s mind.

“It’s great to have a horse like him. He disappointed us a little bit in Galway twice but I’d put that completely down to the ground.

“To be going there this year, if the ground is quick, you’d have to be going with confidence with the way he’s performing at the moment.

“The Plate is first choice if the ground is right and as long as he’s not carrying top weight. He won’t run in it if he’s carrying top-weight.

“I put him in the Hurdle as well, to keep our options open. I know you’re dropping back to two miles but in Galway, you have to stay. He’s in the big handicap hurdle on Saturday as well. He’ll go wherever he’ll get the best ground. And if the ground is on the slow side, he won’t run, and we’ll hold for something maybe back in Killarney.”

Hopefully it won’t come to that but as the past decade has shown, more often than not, Fahey, and his support team, will get it right.

Frank Berry and Peter Fahey after Gypsy Island had won at Punchestown \ Carolinenorris.ie

Two more for the notebook

Hamley: She had a lovely run only beaten a couple of lengths in a premier handicap at the Curragh. She went to Leopardstown last week and they ran very slow in a race she was only beaten two lengths again. She’s dropped down to 92 and she’ll run in the Topaz Mile if she gets into it. She’s a right good filly. She won that €150,000 premier handicap for us at the Curragh on Champions Weekend. A big syndicate of lads own her and have gotten a great buzz out of her.

“She’d have to have a little bit of luck and a good draw as you’re dropping back to a mile. We might stick a set of blinkers on her to sharpen her up early on but I’ve no doubt she’ll love the hill. She comes home very well in all her races. The Topaz is always a fast-run race and if she gets a good draw and a bit of luck in running, she’s got a good chance.”

Mine Now: He will go for the Galway Blazers’ Chase. He was third in it last year. I’d say he wasn’t beaten a half a length in total in two good races for the last two years in Galway, he was beaten a nose in the €100,000 hurdle on the Saturday the year before. He’s working really well at home. We’ve left him fresh as he runs well fresh. He seems in great form. Enda Monaghan, his owner, is from Galway himself. He’d love to have a winner there after knocking on the door the last few years.”

Gypsy Island with Peter Fahey, Derek O’Connor, Frank Berry, Ber Fahey and family after winning at Fairyhouse \ Carolinenorris.ie