How did you get into horse racing?

I was always into horses mainly eventing. I was a member of the local riding club. Then I started working with racehorses and met David who always has horses in training and I got a love for the sport especially flat racing.

How did you get into racehorse ownership?

David has always had horses in training and when I met him, I started helping him with them, riding out and going racing. I would have done everything with Purring Along from the time she was a two-year-old until she went to Shane. I rode her out, looked after her, and fell in love with her quirky personality. Before Christmas, David gifted her to me as I had always wanted a racehorse of my own and David knew how much I love her.

What is the most enjoyable part of owning a racehorse?

I enjoy it every day from getting updates from Shane about Purring Along’s progress to going racing with her. When it all comes together like it did last Friday in Cork it makes it all worthwhile.

What was your best day at the races and why?

My best day at the races was last Friday when Purring Along won. We always believed in her and Shane only had her a short while when he told us that he saw potential in her. So, for her to pull it off was fantastic as we stuck with her the whole way, believing in her. What made it extra special was that it meant so much to David. As a breeder, it’s all about improving the family and Purring Along did that Friday. David has the family at home, the dam and four siblings including a full-brother. So to see what it meant for David was brilliant and also for Urban Poet, the sire of Purring Along. He deserves more recognition than he currently gets. He is a fabulous stallion with a great pedigree.

How did your horse get its name?

Her pet name is Kitty so David thought of Purring Along as in purring like a cat.

In your experience, what racecourse in Ireland treats owners the best and why?

Definitely Navan, I have always loved Navan and the service and staff are second to none. Even the grooms’ canteen is fantastic compared to some courses.

Shane Duffy is a small trainer with a fantastic strike rate, What qualities does he have that make him appealing to you the owner?

Shane is a fantastic trainer and honest. He tells it as it is and really knows his stuff and is a brilliant judge of a horse. He only had Purring Along for a short while when he saw potential in her. The greatest attribute Shane has is he will try everything to get the horse to its best and keep the horse happy. Purring Along is quirky and while other trainers wouldn’t want the hassle, Shane tried everything until he got the key to her last Friday. Another big thing for me is the horses get turned out every day. Shane has individual turn-out paddocks and even rearranged the horses into different paddocks to find one Purring Along was happy in. It’s all about the horse with Shane and his team. His father Paddy and mother Marie are regulars in the yard helping out and he has two great riders who come in every day, Katie and Darragh. It’s all about the horses. They are treated like members of the family and you only have to look at them to see this.

What improvements/changes would you like to see made in horse racing in Ireland for owners?

I mention this further down but more races to suit lower-graded horses. It’s very hard to find races to suit when your horse is rated low so I would love to see them get more of a chance.

What significance do your colours hold?

As I said David gifted Purring Along to me so I wanted to incorporate David’s colours into mine. His colours are emerald green with a white cross of Lorraine and a black cap so I changed the body to purple as it’s my favourite colour.

What’s next on the agenda for your horse?

We hope we can get another win out of her. She has the ability, we have always known that so it would be fantastic to win two in a year. It’s so tough and competitive in Ireland but we are thrilled to have got one win this year but I think we might get another from her. We will keep trying but no matter what we will enjoy the year and be very proud of Purring Along.

What would help to make Irish racing more competitive for the smaller owner/trainer?

I’d love to see more races for lower-graded horses. They fall out of the system very quickly in Ireland and you would love to see these horses have more of a chance. Purring Along won rated 40, now she is 51 that’s 11lbs for a half- length win and she may have found it hard had Shane not found the key.

What advice would you give someone thinking of becoming a racehorse owner?

Be patient, it’s a long long road and very expensive. Don’t overlook a small trainer like Shane, I’m glad I didn’t. Any future horses I have will be going to Shane.