TALK about patience paying off. For a while it looked as though Sam Curling might never win a race with Angels Dawn, but now he finds himself on the cusp of a spectacular spring festival double with the mare whose fortunes have changed dramatically over the past year.

Alfie Sweetnam’s daughter of Yeats had shown plenty of ability across the first 13 starts of her career, but a visit to the winner’s enclosure always somehow managed to elude her. A total of seven appearances in bumpers saw her rattle the crossbar with two seconds, two thirds and two fourths, and it was a similar story when sent hurdling.

A breakthrough win looked a formality after achieving blacktype when third in the Grade 2 Dorans Pride Novice Hurdle at Limerick, but there was more frustration to follow. A disappointing defeat as 11/8 favourite for a weak Punchestown mares’ maiden hurdle in February 2022 would have tested even her most loyal followers’ faith.

“I don’t think there are any excuses for Angels Dawn today - she’s just not good enough on that evidence,” surmised one Racing TV pundit in the post-race analysis at Punchestown.

Another concurred: “She’s been found wanting again and has questions to answer. I think she might struggle to get her head in front… I’m not sure where Sam Curling goes with her from here.”

Those comments seemed fully reasonable at that moment in time, but the beginning of a corner being turned was evidenced on her next start when bolting up by 12 lengths at Limerick. To her connections’ credit, she has turned inside-out since Curling opted to change tack by campaigning her over fences this season.

It only took three runs over the larger obstacles to eclipse her best form as a hurdler. In fact, but for a short-head defeat on New Year’s Eve and unseating at the second last while holding a big chance in Punchestown’s Grand National Trial in February, Angels Dawn would now be chasing a fifth straight win over fences.

She heads to Monday’s €500,000 BoyleSports Irish Grand National at Fairyhouse vying for favouritism, having provided Curling with by far the biggest winner of his training career at the Cheltenham Festival last month in the Fulke Walwyn Kim Muir Handicap Chase. She has raised her game to new heights for one of the most upwardly mobile young National Hunt handlers in the country.

“She took a long time for the penny to drop,” Curling reflects from the office of his impressive Skehanagh Stables base near Cashel, Co Tipperary.

“We changed a few things around with her this season. She’s a real chasing mare too. I probably over-raced her in bumpers because she was always knocking on the door, bumping into nice horses, and that probably didn’t do her any favours when she went over hurdles; I’d say it wasn’t the thing to do for a staying mare. She’s improved away throughout the season, though, and it’s brilliant to have one like her as a chaser.”

Cheltenham joy

The significance of last month’s landmark first Cheltenham Festival winner is not lost on the 39-year-old, given his 80-horse operation is primarily focused on producing young point-to-pointers and features a much smaller string for racing under rules.

The handicapper’s assessment of Angels Dawn also meant her place in the race was in doubt until the 11th hour when sneaking in at the foot of the weights for amateur rider Pa King.

“The buzz of a winner at Cheltenham was like nothing else,” says Curling.

“It took ages to sink in, really. We’d never have that type of horse for the track usually. It was brilliant for it to come off on a day like that.

“The whole thing was massive for us and Alfie, who came to us with a couple of horses through a connection with John Manogue. Aidan Fitzgerald actually broke Angels Dawn but doesn’t have a track licence so Alfie sent her to us to run in a bumper.”

It was a special Cheltenham Festival for more than one reason when it came to the Skehanagh outfit. A sublime Supreme Novices’ Hurdle win for one of its star graduates, Marine Nationale, gave Curling immense pleasure. Barry Connell’s unbeaten six-year-old departed the Co Tipperary yard unraced while holding a significant reputation.

Mighty Marine

“To be honest, I get as much of a kick out of seeing Marine Nationale winning the Grade 1s for Barry Connell as I do in training a big one,” says the former jockey, who 20 years ago rode Hedgehunter to win the Grand National Trial Handicap Chase at Punchestown.

“I bought Marine Nationale as a foal so we got to know him well. He was always unbelievable over a fence - I think he’ll be some chaser. His work was always really, really good. I deal a lot with Gerry Hogan and he was the one who put it all together [in terms of the sale]. He’d seen him work well at Boulta, and we brought him up to work with one of Barry’s horses. He liked him and bought him.

“Marine was so fast you’d wonder whether he’d definitely stay but he does come home well. I used to always think that from riding work on him as a three-year-old, he’d be near to group class on the flat. He has unbelievable speed for a jumps horse and will have no problem staying either. I think he’s a bit of a freak.”

With big-money sales, comes big pressure to deliver. How does that sit with the man who saddled his first track winner in April 2011 with Ballochroy at Clonmel?

“You do feel the pressure when you stick your neck on the line with a horse like Marine Nationale, especially when they haven’t run yet. At least when they’ve gone in a point-to-point or bumper the evidence is there in front of people to judge for themselves.

“I’d like to think I handle the pressure of it but like everyone, you have your moments. There can be a lot of money at stake with some of the sales. When it comes to Barry and Gerry, though, they’re very easy to deal with. They know all that can go right and wrong in this game.

“They actually bought The Tullow Tank off us too after finishing second in a point-to-point at Lemonfield. He was beaten 12 lengths but looked green and babyish. It took him a little while to come to hand, he was beaten on his first couple of starts, but he was a very smart horse. Barry has got a couple of nice horses from us [since Marine Nationale] too so hopefully it all works out for them.”

Star names

The son of renowned equine artist Peter has been able to record some notable pinhooks from his 159 winners between the flags and 31 winners under rules, but he insists these are essential in order to make the business viable in the ultra-competitive point-to-point sphere.

Marine Nationale wasn’t the first Supreme winner to have gone through Curling’s hands, with the trainer having also saddled Summerville Boy to win a Killarney bumper on debut for owner Richard Downes in May 2017. Other prominent names to have succeeded from Skehanagh include serious Grand National contenders Vanillier and Longhouse Poet, as well as Seeyouatmidnight and Listen Dear.

“It’s fantastic when those things click but a lot of them don’t make money too,” he says. “You need those big-money horses to keep it going because plenty don’t shape up as you’d hope from the roughly 30 three-year-olds you get your hands on each year. They could average €40,000 apiece to buy. It’s big money.

“We’d always buy 15 or 20 horses, and then the likes of Timmy Hyde and Walter Connors could send us on some nice horses as well. You need a certain number for things to work. Sales time is the most important time of the year. You try to see as many horses as you can over those few days. It’s a lot of work at the store sales but I love it.

“Point-to-pointing has gone so competitive that there has to be good horses coming from all sorts of meetings. The bar is constantly being raised higher. You need a proper 130-rated horse to compete in a four-year-old maiden, and you mightn’t win it at that. Nearly every weekend there are top-class races.

“I just love point-to-pointing, and it is our primary focus. Only about 10% of our runners are for the track. The rest are mostly young horses to produce and develop. Trying to produce good horses is always our ultimate aim.”

Curling is clear in what he believes is the primary challenge facing the industry.

“Insurance is the big thing. I just hope that hunt clubs can stay going because insurance has gone through the roof and they need all the support they can get,” he says.

“To put on a point-to-point is a massive undertaking and something we all probably take for granted to an extent. I’m on the committee with Lisronagh and do very little, but the efforts that some people go to are top class. I hope everyone gets support for those efforts. On the plus side, attendances seem to be strong at point-to-points since Covid.”

Experience counts

Working alongside wife Zoe, who he hails as a vital figure in the business’ success, Curling has worked hard to continue improving facilities at his base of over 100 acres in the last decade. Trading and training horses had always been an ambition since his time spent during his riding career with Edward O’Grady, Willie Mullins and Nicky Henderson, while he also worked for Aidan O’Brien at Ballydoyle when departing the weighing room.

“You’re always trying to improve things and I can see the horses progressing for the facilities getting better,” he says. “I changed the gallop last year and I think it has made a big difference to the form of the horses. We have great staff too; they make it happen for us.

“I always had an interest in trading and horses but I never envisaged it becoming this big. It just kind of snowballed. I was really lucky to ride for some great trainers, and you take small bits from them all. The thing with all the good trainers is that things are kept simple. They find a system that works and stick to it.”

On St Nicholas Abbey, who he regularly rode in work during his time at Ballydoyle, Curling adds: “He was an incredible horse. Aidan kept the lid on him for a while but I can remember him doing a piece of work that was just unbelievable for a two-year-old. He was just a brilliant horse.”

Despite Easter Monday at Fairyhouse marking arguably the biggest runner in his career, the shrewd handler insists he will not be box-walking in the build-up to Angels Dawn’s Irish Grand National bid.

He shows an understated confidence while relishing his tilt at the big time.

“I wouldn’t let myself get too nervous, I don’t generally get too high or too low,” says Curling. “We’re so busy anyway at the moment, so there’s not really a chance to think too much about it.

“Phillip Enright does a lot of work around here, has won on her before and will ride her again on Monday. She’s going to have a nice weight in the race and novices seem to do well in the Irish National. I feel she’s still improving, I think there’s plenty more in her. It’s unreal to be going to Fairyhouse with one who has a chance like her.