Last Sunday Crystal Black won the final race of the Irish Champions Weekend for his syndicate of owners. They have also had success with the likes of True Self who won nearly €900,000 in prize money including in Australia and Riyadh.

How did you get involved in horse race ownership?

I started off with a horse named Oriental Ben. A couple of my mates were involved with him. Tony Mullins trained him and he won four races, three for ourselves. I have had horses ever since that. We had a lovely mare with Willie Mullins named True Self there a couple of years ago. She won nearly €900,000 in prize money. We are always involved with a couple.

And how did the Wear A Pink Ribbon syndicate come about?

It was around the time that we had True Self that a very close friend of ours named Breda Miley was going through cancer. We decided we would buy a horse and call it Wear A Pink Ribbon. We raised a lot of money for cancer. She was there to present a cheque to the Irish Cancer Society in Willie’s one morning. She passed away soon after. So that’s how the name Wear a Pink Ribbon syndicate came about. We said we would keep the syndicate name in memory of her. There are four lads in the syndicate, myself, Herbie Stephenson, Conor Duffy and Tom Fallon. Conor Duffy is a builder from Armagh. Tom Fallon came in with us in the last year. He is a farmer in Tullow. Herbie has a transport company with plenty of trucks on the road.

How did you come across Crystal Black?

We were in Hong Kong with True Self. I was chatting to Colin Keane in a champagne bar after the race. I told him that if he ever came across a nice horse that he was going to buy, to give me a shout. I told him I wouldn’t mind having one with him and his dad. About two years later he rang me and told me he was on his way to buy a horse at a horses in training sale. He thought he was a nice horse. It turned out to be Crystal Black. That’s how we got involved. He brought him home and freshened him up and got him going.

Were you confident heading down to the Curragh last Sunday?

Ah, we were confident enough. Sure, there was an awful lot of lads that backed it. I heard there was a queue out the door in Ladbrokes in Baltinglass! We had a good few down with us as well and there was a good few lads that made a few quid. It was brilliant. I think that was my 36th winner.

He looked like he had plenty in hand at the end?

Yeah, he looked very good. He looked a lot better on Sunday than even the first day he won. He is improving the whole time. Hopefully, he stays sound now and we will see what is next on the cards for him.

He was stepped up in trip last week to a mile and two. Do you think that is his ideal trip?

It looks like that alright. He was actually third in that race for Weld (Dermot) a couple of years ago. He lost his way a bit after that but he seems to have found his form again.

Tell us about Gerrard Keane. He is having a good year this year?

He is indeed, he is flying. Ah, look, he is very genuine and fair. He tells you straight how it is. You never have to make an appointment or that with him, He is always on the other end of the phone. He is sound as a bell. We did have another horse with him before who was no good and he was straight with us and told us as much. He is very good at placing horses. Look at last Sunday for example, to pick out that race for our lad and know that it would suit him was class.

And you have a few other race horses on the go at the moment?

I have a well-bred mare with Willie Mullins. She picked up a few injuries. She is only back in training for about a month. Hashtag Be Kind is her name. She is by Camelot. She has one run under her belt from when she was with Jamie Osborne. Willie bought her at the Cheltenham Sale. Hopefully, we can get her going and get a couple of runs into her. I have one more with Stephen Jones in pre-training.

What’s the significance behind the colours?

Those colours are my original ones. We chose them back when we bought Oriental Ben. The green and white was for the Donard football team. I am Church of Ireland so the lads at the time stuck in the orange cap for myself!

What advice would you give to someone looking to get involved in ownership?

I would always say try to go to the best that’s out there. Go to the people who are proven winners. I would rather pay two or three hundred more a month to a good trainer who will tell me if I have a good horse or not.