THE most emotional moment of the ITBA National Breeding and Racing Awards came when Amy Marnane collected the Next Generation Award. Amy’s mum Theresa died in December, at only 61 years of age.

A graduate of the Irish National Stud’s thoroughbred breeding programme, Amy also spent time learning from the late Gerry Dilger in Kentucky. Niall Brennan, Peter and Ross Doyle, and Mike and Mary Ryan were also among her mentors.

But of course Amy first came through the ‘Con Marnane School’ in Bansha, Co Tipperary, with flying colours which, as her father modestly claims, is the best education you can get!

The Marnanes have an excellent reputation in the business and Amy was learning the basics from as early as three or four years of age.

Con said: “By the age of five or six she knew every horse in the place by their sire and dam, the whole pedigree. She just loves going to sales, picking out cheap horses that will become good racehorses.”

Cathal Beale of the Irish National Stud said of Amy: “Like a lot of her peers, Amy has great ability and work ethic but she has an unbelievable eye for a horse and that willingness to back herself and have a go. And the proof is in the pudding when you see the results that Amy and Con have put together in a short space of time. ”

Amy’s first purchase was a €2,000 foal who didn’t sell as a yearling but made £20,000 at the breeze-ups. From there she punted $15,000 on a foal in Kentucky who made $125,000 as a yearling, and that got the ball rolling.

In 2015 Amy and Con bought a Dabirsim filly foal for €8,000 in France. Named Different League, she won the Group 3 Albany Stakes at Royal Ascot in 2017 in Theresa Marnane’s colours before being sold for 1.5 million guineas.

The father-daughter did it again last year, selling their €11,000 yearling purchase Givemethebeatboys for £1.1 million on the eve of Royal Ascot.

Amy said: “There’s nothing more exciting than buying a horse for small money, for him to be a champion and to make plenty of money. It gives you such buzz – this is not work, it’s a way of life.”

Recalling the day the letter arrived at home informing Amy that she had been selected for the award, she said: “Before mum passed away she said to me ‘I don’t care how sick I am, I will be there on the night’.”

Con added: “Amy did unbelievable things for her mother before she died. Theresa was so proud of Amy, and so am I and Olivia.”