How did you get interested in racing?

We grew up in Kilmacthomas which is halfway between Waterford town and Dungarvan, so there were a lot of horsey people in that area. We had a pub there as well and the horse Nick Rockett was actually named after a well-known local character who used to frequent our pub. Roddy O’Byrne who owned Nick Rockett originally used to be in our pub as well. My father was into the greyhounds but eventually, after a while, he decided to buy a broodmare.

Initially, I had no interest but I gradually began to like it from giving him a hand. Before we knew it, we had a couple of horses around the place and I had started buying Racing Posts and Irish Fields and that’s kind of how it started.

You are very connected to the game through your line of work, how did you get started in racing journalism?

I suppose I got into journalism with the idea of pursuing a career in racing journalism. I had done an equine degree and worked in a couple of stud farms but I found that working in those stud farms meant that you were quite far removed from the racing action itself.

I wanted to be part of that exciting buzz of racing itself, you know. So I went back to Griffith College in Dublin and got a few lucky breaks and got writing for a few publications. My first work experience was actually in the old The Irish Field office at D’Olier Street of which I have great memories.

So tell us about Dundalk winner Dreams Fled Away and his background.

Myself and my father bought his grand dam in 2003. She bred plenty of good winners, flat and National Hunt. We kept this lad’s mother, usually, we sell horses as foals. During Covid, it wasn’t possible to get Dreams Fled Away to the yearling sales. He wasn’t really a breeze-up type of horse either. So we had to take a chance with him. It has taken a bit of time and we have had a few setbacks with him. He is only maturing now, I think.

In the last few months, he has gotten stronger than ever. It was a bit disheartening there for a while when he wasn’t performing, but he has won back-to-back now so all is well. It’s a huge thrill to get winners and when you do get them you just want more. As an owner, you are always chasing that thrill of winning. Without owners there’s no racing so I suppose that winning feeling keeps the game going. Owners are the most vital clog in the wheel.

He won by a neck last time out at Dundalk, how do you think the race panned out for him?

Yeah, that was probably his most professional performance. We put blinkers on him as we felt in previous runs he was losing concentration early on in his races. He was drawn down hard on the inside.

A year ago, he might have backed out of the battle when push came to shove. I think his win previous to that had given him a bit of confidence. He held his line. His style is to come through horses late on. His last two furlongs are always his best two furlongs. Colin was quite happy with him as well.

We will probably try to go back to Dundalk before the end of the season. Unfortunately, he got another 7lb but sure we can’t do anything about that.

Any significance behind the name Dreams Fled Away?

It’s the opening line to a Thomas Kinsella poem called Another September. It would have been on the Leaving Certifiate curriculum back in the day when I was in school. It was a poem I always liked in school. It means more to me these days. In it, the author is speaking about waking up next to his wife in rural Wexford.

My wife is from rural Wexford and has the surname Kinsella as well. So, there is a bit of a connection there and it kind of resonates with how my life panned out I suppose. I kind of had it in my head that I would like to call a horse that some day so that is where it came about.

Tell us about Shane Crawley and the owner–trainer relationship that you have.

When I was considering who to send the Dreams Fled Away to, I was impressed with Shane’s strike rate. He is a young and enthusiastic trainer as well. I tend to leave him to it, he is well able to train horses and train winners so I don’t get too much involved in that end of things.

A couple of times the horse was balloted out of races and Shane has kept him going and bubbling over despite that and a few other setbacks. So yeah, Shane has been a very good training performance with this lad.

Have you any other horses on the horizon?

We have a half-sister to Dreams Fled Away. She is a four-year-old now and she is by The Last Lion. He has been a bit of a disappointing stallion. She is a nice filly though. We probably could have done something with her a bit earlier than this. I just needed that bit of encouragement from Dreams Fled Away to go do something with her. There was no point in pouring money into her until he proved himself.

He has done that now so we will crack on and do something with her. And I think she might be all the better for us giving her that chance to develop before putting her into training.

Speaking as an owner, racing journalist and a racing fan, how have you found the race day experience, is there anything that can be improved upon?

I think those in charge of that aspect of the sport are doing a good job. I certainly have no complaints. I think Dundalk, where we have been frequenting as owners, are certainly doing as well as they can and I think there has been some good quality racing there over the winter.

We have been well looked after by them when we have been there. It’s not an easy job trying to manage a racecourse and it can be a thankless job at times. I think plenty are doing their best to move with the times and yeah, most of them are doing a pretty good job.