IN the last few weeks, our small family run yard in Killenaule, Co Tipperary, has sent out four winners.

In fact, of the eight horses we currently have in training, seven have now won, while the other has gone close on a few occasions.

Although my father trained the odd horse under permit some years back, it was a chance meeting at the sales and a foal that no one wanted, that really helped build the platform for our current success.

Both my older brothers were jockeys who rode under rules on the track. Paddy (Hassett) was based with Edward O’Grady, while Michael rode as an amateur for Vincent O’Brien. Being the baby of the family, I rode out at home with my father and also hunted with the Tipperary Foxhounds. I would never lay claim to having been as accomplished a rider as my siblings!

After finishing school, I spent a few years at home full-time; milking cows and helping with the horses.

At 25, I went to Coolmore, where I work in the broodmare side of the stud. Thirty-three years on, that is still my principal job - I suppose you could say, I am also a part-time farmer and part-time horse trainer!

With lads getting married and family life taking over, there were a few years without any horses around at home.

Bought a foal

I then bought a foal, sold it, bought another and so on. In 2008, at the height of the recession, I was asked to bring a foal up to the sales for a friend. As I left that morning, I can still remember my wife’s words; “don’t come back with another one!”

I wasn’t there very long, when I met a man I knew - he asked if I wanted a foal. Although I wasn’t actively searching, when said foal went through the sales ring unsold, I ended up getting him for nothing. Vendors couldn’t give horses away in those years; it wasn’t unusual to end up one, or even two, without any money changing hands.

Fortunately for me, the foal I inherited, who was later named Bullet Street, won his maiden hurdle on his second start. We ended up selling him for £50k, enabling us to build a gallop for £30k and buying another two horses. One of those latter purchases won a point-to-point, before selling for good money. So, we have a lot to be thankful to Bullet Street for!

Nurse Ryan had been my first winner as a restricted trainer when successful in a handicap hurdle at Ballinrobe in August 2011. After the sale of Bullet Street, the following year, we were in a position to invest in the training operation and improve facilities.

Invaluable

The gallop we built has proven invaluable in taking us to that next level. My brother Michael and I, look after the yard and ride out at home, while Paddy has gone in a different direction, buying point-to-point horses.

We are ably assisted by my wife Deirdre, daughter Megan, son Jack and by Michael’s son Michael Junior and grandson, Wayne. The latter, who recently rode his first winner, is apprenticed to Joseph O’Brien.

Everyone that works/rides out in the yard, also has their own full-time job. No one gets paid - they do it for the love of the game. To be honest, if we had to pay lads to come in and ride out, I don’t think we would be still going.

Family

It would be great to one day be in a position to employ staff full-time but at the moment, it’s all family. We ride out in the mornings, at dinner time or in the evenings. Recently, an owner in the yard, who is a qualified electrician, helped us erect floodlights on the gallop.

As a restricted licence holder, I am able to return eight horses in training; four under each code. Ideally, I’d love a yard of 15-20 horses but certainly no more. For me, it’s all about quality over quantity. I want to be competitive every time I go racing.

Obviously, it’s a different ball game if we were to expand in numbers, as we’d need to get additional staff and offer attractive remuneration. At the moment, everyone is happy; we all have our full-time jobs, so there is no pressure with expectations from the training. However, like everyone in this business, I will never turn away a nice horse.

While our current run of good form is very pleasing, I wouldn’t say that I am totally surprised. I could see it happening a couple of years ago but for one reason or another, it has taken until now for everything to just click. I would go down into the yard in the evenings and think to myself, “he is a winner” or “he is another”.

Come together

In the last few months, it has all just come together and now those expected winners have become actual winners. Hard work has played a huge part in our success but as with Bullet Street, all those years ago, you also need plenty of luck.

Harry’s Hill, a legend in the yard, was bought as a two-year-old during lockdown. He had been due to go to the breeze ups but due to so much uncertainty at that time, we ended up buying him privately from Eoin McDonagh of Shanvalley Stables.

The horse has subsequently won six races for us and hopefully he isn’t finished yet. I had hoped to run him in the Rockingham but he might need to go up a few more pounds first.

Valleyoftheeagles won his maiden hurdle in Killarney but didn’t stay the additional mile at Kilbeggan last time. He should have more to come back down in trip. Bynx has been a very consistent mare so it was great to see her win at Tramore recently.

She is owned by a group of about 20 young lads, who love their racing and hurling. They really enjoyed celebrating her first success; one of them telling me that “this is even better than winning a hurling match!”

Battle Of Ridgeway, who made a winning handicap debut at Clonmel last month, has since been sold to stay in the yard. Similar to Bynx, now that he has got his head in front, we would be hoping that he can win again.

Martin Hassett was in conversation with John O’Riordan