GER O’Leary and Darren Bunyan became the latest two trainers to operate on a joint licence earlier this month, with the former identifying staffing issues as the main driver behind the move.

O’Leary and Bunyan have already sent out seven runners since joining up. Initially, the former had given up his licence and sent his horses to be trained by Bunyan, who rents a yard on his property in Dunmurray Hall, just off the Curragh, but a change of heart in his short stint away from training led to a link-up.

“Staff was my big issue,” O’Leary explained. “Adrian Joyce was with me and he is brilliant. We pressed hard for three or four years and it was successful but ultimately it was very hard to get staff to work full time so I had decided that if you can’t do it properly, don’t do it at all, so I gave the horses to Darren to go into training.

Seamless

“I have known Darren a long time and he actually rents a yard on my property so it was kind of seamless in a way – the horses are basically in the same place and we had been using the same gallop.

“I ended up going in there every day and I suppose I discovered that I missed it, the adrenaline of it, doing the programme and the entries. It’s different when you’re on the outside looking in. Ultimately it ended up with a conversation where Darren said, let’s move this project on together and that is where we’re at now.”

O’Leary had sent out 47 winners in Ireland over the last four seasons while Bunyan had 21 winners in the same time frame.

The pair now have 30 horses to train after recruiting yearlings from the major sales this week and last.

“We’ve got a few more in which is great – Darren has bought yearlings at Goffs this week, and Tattersalls last week. My main remit will be looking after the Lance Bloodstock Ltd horses and I have a few more owners as well. It’s far more simple for me now. I work in business full time so it was hard to keep all the plates spinning.

“With staff, it was kind of easy enough to get people to come in the morning and ride a few lots but ultimately you need 24/7 cover and there were holes to be plugged.

“There is a lot less hiring and firing for me now and more being able to enjoy the horses, and hopefully get the results now that matter.”