Its been a big year for Niall. He became joint CEO of EasyFix after his father, Michael, took a step back in his role in the popular industry business. The Galway native also won his first Grade 1 as an owner, when Farren Glory won the Royal Bond at Fairyhouse two weeks ago.

How did you get interested in racing?

I’d say the interest would have come mainly from my uncle John. He owned some nice horses, including Chicago Grey that won the four-miler at Cheltenham in 2011. He had lots over the years. When we were growing up, he was actually known around here as the Sheikh, because they reckon Sheikh Mohammed is the only man with more horses than him over the years. But just spending time with him, visiting pre-training yards and watching foals come through, would have garnered my interest. Then I suppose through our business with EasyFix I would have had great opportunities to visit yards and clients of ours and all that. I used to be a regular in Paul Nicholls’ yard because he, and especially Paul Barber, would have been massive clients of ours.

Just on the EasyFix business, it’s become such a well-known brand in the industry, especially when it comes to new and innovative ideas, how have you found the sales aspect of selling the EasyFix name and products within the industry itself?

Sure my best asset as a businessman is my sales skills and I’ve been doing a lot of it for many years now. The brand itself is going very strong. For the last couple of years, people have really taken to what we are doing. As you said, quite a lot of what we do is innovative and new. It’s very enjoyable to bring new concepts to the industry. We have a fantastic team and the equine side of our business has never been going better. There is such an awareness now of animal comfort and welfare. In racing you have to keep horses well-fed, warm and comfortable for them to perform. People now recognise that and we have definitely seen more investment in our products as a result.

Moving on to Farren Glory, He provided you with your first Grade 1 at Fairyhouse two weeks ago, it must have been a wonderful feeling?

It was amazing. I wouldn’t really be a betting man at all but I thought he would win that race in the lead-up. He won in Clonmel by nine lengths after Gordon said he would need the run. To me, he was close to a good thing for the Royal Bond going by the way he ran in Clonmel that day. I think he is a very good horse. I always go away on my own when my horses are running. So, I was watching it on the big screen. I saw him getting shuffled back coming around the bend. It was a testament to his ability that it only took him one squeeze and a shake-up to get him back into it and on the bridle. Then he missed the last and he still picked up, which meant he had picked himself up twice in the run in, which is extraordinary. Jack Kennedy really likes the horse. He said as soon as the entries came out for the race, he knew he would be riding him.

And obviously, Marine Nationale who won that race last year went to Cheltenham and put in an exceptional performance over there, do you see your lad following a similar path?

We haven’t spoken too much about it yet. I’d like to see him going a similar route. Marine Nationale didn’t run again between that race and Cheltenham. Ideally, that is what I would like our horse to be able to do. Gordon did mention though that he may need a run. I think he said to the press that he may run in England. I think he might want to get him acclimatised to travelling, because he is a little bit hot.

And now that you mention Gordon, for a while now he has been regarded as a legendary trainer for the winners that he produces year in and year out. What do you think it is that makes him so successful?

Yeah, I don’t judge Gordon in what he is doing today because he has unlimited firepower and a major operation with incredible staff. The true mark of Gordon’s ability is when he was younger. He was renting a yard, so he wouldn’t have gotten a lot in terms of backing or finances. He would be getting horses that other yards didn’t want. He was winning multiple races with those sorts of horses with very limited ability. It was amazing, he was extremely determined and he just had to make it. A bit like us with EasyFix in the early days, there was no other way about it you just had to make it. I think Gordon will tell you himself, he couldn’t see himself doing anything different. Another guy that I would be friendly with is Christian Williams and I always think that Christian resembled Gordon when he started. Again, he had no big backing or anything like that, but he was able to produce big handicap winners. It’s grand handicapping a horse well and plotting, but when you get there you have to be able to win the race and those lads certainly can do that.

You are a former Master of the East Galway hunt as well, tell us a bit about your interest in hunting.

Growing up we would have hunted a lot with the Galway Blazers. Some lads hunt when they’re young for the craic and they move on. But I loved it and got invested in the sport and the finer details of it. I never lost the passion for it I suppose. A few years ago, the East Galway hunt asked me if would I become a Master, so I did and I hunted with them predominantly for the last couple of years, as well as the Blazers.

This year I have had to take a step away from it, I’ve two small kids and in work as well my father has taken a step back. I am now joint CEO of EasyFix so I just had to take a step back from the Master duties. I still hunt with both the East Galway and the Blazers, but not as regularly as I would like.

The hunt has come under pressure over the last couple of years with insurance issues and various other things, but ultimately isn’t it a great resource and education to bring on potential young jockeys?

Absolutely yeah, I was watching Horse TV on YouTube. There are interviews there with people about their racing careers and the amount of them who started off hunting is incredible. The first thing they generally say is, the neighbour had a pony or whatever and we started hunting with it. It’s a really solid starting point for any young lad with aspirations to be a jockey. It’s a brilliant outlet for young kids.

Have you made any purchases recently in sales or otherwise?

We have actually purchased Ndaawi out of Andrew Balding’s yard. He ran in some big races last year and he came highly recommended. Gordon was onto me and he wanted to buy the horse because he thought he would be a nice horse for a big handicap and also, he could run over hurdles you know. I was happy enough with Farren Glory. I never really want a big string of horses. I rang up Gordon and said listen, I’m happy enough with the lad I have. He said yeah no bother.

I was out on holiday and the next thing I got an invoice from Tatts. My father was after overruling me. But look it, Gordon really likes him, he is a horse that will come out soon, he will run over hurdles and you know, he might turn up in a Fred Winter just for a bit of sport.