How did you get involved in racing?

Through default really! We’d have had sport horses and a few National Hunt mares at home when I was growing up. I did a bit of hunting and show jumping when I was younger.

I was doing Equine Science in UL and I was half-thinking of dropping out and half-thinking of keeping going with it. Gerry Dilger from Kentucky was home on a holiday and was speaking to my mother in Ennis and she told him about my dilemma.

He told her to send me out to him for six months and I ended up staying for 11. I came home then and did the Irish National Stud course, and then ended up in Australia with Coolmore and did nearly seven years with them.

What led you to getting involved in ownership?

It wasn’t something that I ever planned on. A neighbour of ours bred Thatwilldoso, but she was born on our farm. She foaled with us and stayed with us thereafter. He brought her to the foal sales and couldn’t sell her so he told us to hold onto her. She comes back to us when she’s on her breaks.

Sean Grassick (bloodstock agent) came down to see her when she was a yearling and he thought that she was plenty big enough and told us to break her in and see what happens. He asked Kevin (Coleman, trainer) if he’d be happy to have a go training her and he was. I didn’t know where to send her at the time, but Sean said that Kevin was good at giving horses the time and education that they need.

We got her broken and riding, and then Kevin told us to send her to John O’Shea just to see if she was any good. She was with him for about two months and he advised us to give her a bit of a break, and that is was definitely worth giving her a go. Once she got to Kevin’s he said that she wasn’t bad and I should get a group of lads together for a syndicate.

You’ve been involved with her for a long time then, has she got any quirks?

She’s hardy enough when she comes home to us, we can’t understand it! If I went up to the field to bring her down for the farrier it would be a two-man job to bring her down. When you’re feeding her, you feed her and you walk away, you don’t hang around. Food is very important to her.

Who’s in the syndicate with you?

There’s five of us. Myself and my father (Thomas), Pat Taylor, Mark Taylor and Stephen Slattery. We grew up together at home, they’re good friends. Pat has a bar in Ennis, and when Clare are playing matches we’d meet up back there and have a few pints afterwards. From April until maybe into July, around two o’clock on a Sunday morning, the conversation would always turn to ownership and that we should buy a racehorse. We’d be all guns blazing but that’s as far as it went. Once we thought about actually buying a horse, waiting for it to run and all the rest, that conversation died off. We were over in France for the World Cup and the conversation came up again. I suggested that the lads come into a syndicate with me for Thatwilldoso, and they were all interested in taking a share.

What’s the name of the syndicate about?

There were a lot of names coming in for the horse, and my girlfriend pointed out that whenever I finish a phone call, I finish with ‘that will do so’. I didn’t even realise it, but she said that’s what we should call her and everyone was on board with it, so we went for the same with the syndicate.

Were you confident with you chances going into her last race?

I was hopeful that she would run a good race. I hadn’t gotten any bad reports from Kevin which was good. Normally if I don’t hear from him it’s a good thing! Going on her form and the way she finished at the Curragh the time before that I was hopeful that we’d be there or thereabouts. I didn’t think she’d win, just because it was her first time out this year so it was kind of a shock. When she hit the front, that was a good feeling.

What was going through your head as you were watching?

When she came around the home turn, whatever way we were looking at it from the stand, it looked like she was further back because she came from fifth to second in a couple of strides.

Jack (Kearney, jockey) gave her a great ride. He let her get to the front and see what it was all about, and then when she started to idle a bit he gave her a little reminder and she knuckled down and kicked on for him then.

Besides the winner, how was your day at Gowran Park?

We had a few jobs to do that morning so we only got down, I’d say, two races before hers. It’s a gorgeous track. It’s a pity that more people don’t go to those smaller country tracks. I know it has a busy Thyestes day. It’s a lovely setting and jockeys seem to like it as well. Those mid-week meets are struggling a bit.

Flat racing doesn’t seem to have the same following as National Hunt racing. The Thyestes is on a Thursday and I know lads that will take the day off work to go down, but if you told them the Derby was on in Gowran Park on a Saturday they probably wouldn’t go.

Do you prefer the flat or jumps racing?

I enjoy the flat at the moment because I have a horse running. We breed and sell flat horses so I’d be a bit more up to date. During the winter I’d have no problem watching National Hunt or going off racing on a Sunday to a point-to-point.

What advice would you have for someone that wants to get into ownership?

I’d say just go for it. I know when you look at it first, you’re thinking of all of the costs that go with it, it can be daunting, but when you get a winner, it hits different. Especially when you’ve looked after the horse as a foal, and broken it in, to see it cross the line in front is a very nice feeling. We’ve bred horses and sold them on, and then seen them win which is great for the mare, but when you own the winner it’s different.