Denis has been involved in racing for many years and has had some nice winners. Last week his horse Gevrey won the Munster National at Limerick.

How did you get interested in racehorse ownership and the sport itself?

I’ve been in racing a long time. A few of us got together maybe about 30 years ago, we bought a few horses together. I carried on myself then and have had horses with quite a few trainers. Lester Piggott rode three winners for me on a horse called Pickles back in the day. I’ve always been interested in racing even when I was a kid. I would always have been very keen on having a bet on the big races, Grand National and Derbys and the like.

You had a fantastic win with Gevrey in the Munster National last weekend

Yeah, he won it well. He got a great ride from Ricky [Doyle]. He rode an absolute peach of a race. Fair play to Gordon, he is an unbelievable trainer. We fancied him going down. He only made one mistake in his jumping, he is a good jumper. He has never fallen. He will make maybe one mistake during a race but his nose has never hit the deck. The rest was very easy according to Ricky. Ricky has won three Nationals and he said this was the easiest. The ground was soft which was perfect for him. It’s exactly what he wants, the softer the better.

How did you come across Gevrey?

It was actually my son Mark who bought him. There were four of them offered to us. Mark decided to take Gevrey. That’s how it came about. Mark is the one who chooses. He does all our buying and correspondence.

So what is next on the agenda for Gevrey? Is the Aintree National on the cards?

It would be I think. The next race for him will be the Troytown. But the Aintree National is definitely in our minds. Obviously, he has to stay sound to have a chance of going there but Aintree is certainly something we are aiming for. He is a very tough horse according to Gordon.

And now that you mention Gordon, what he has built and achieved is incredible isn’t it?

Absolutely. He’s incredible. He will never tell you anything is a good thing but if he fancies it he will tell you it has a ‘hell of a chance’. He is an absolute gentleman to deal with. What you see is what you get. He doesn’t put on any sort of an act. He’s just a pleasure to deal with.

I assume the fact that you are living near Merseyside that it would be very special to have a runner in the Grand National.

It would be fantastic. You know the Aintree National is the pinnacle. I don’t know if he is a bit young yet he is only seven. If he stays sound, it is certainly in Gordon’s mind at the moment.

Among the horses that you have owned, Ryanair Gold Cup winner Kylemore Lough definitely catches the eye. Tell us about him.

He was a fantastic horse. He won that Gold Cup as you mentioned and he won a nice race in Sandown as well. He was a very good horse. He took us to some wonderful places, the likes of Ascot and Cheltenham. He was unfortunate to get the injury when he did but yeah, just a fantastic horse.

Is there any significance to the colours?

No, not really. My wife picked them. She came up with a few ideas and those were the ones we went with. They have been lucky colours though. They have produced over 30 winners.

In your years of experience of being an owner on race day, Do you think the owners are treated well? Or is there anything that could be improved upon?

No, in Ireland the racecourses are fantastic. Limerick was fantastic last weekend. Every racecourse I’ve been to in Ireland has been fantastic. Fairyhouse is wonderful. They are lovely people and very welcoming.

There are a lot of sales happening at the moment, are you in the market for another one or two?

I am actually yes. We would be looking for another. I might get Gordon to pick one out for us. If he recommended one for us, we would have to seriously consider it. I don’t go to the sales personally but if Gordon likes something, we will take it from there.

Is there a particular frame of horse that you prefer?

I don’t know really, Gevrey is not a big horse. He is only small but he has the heart of a lion you know. Cardamon Hill is a massive horse. He was a lot of money compared to Gevrey and he turned out to be not so good. It shows you that spending money doesn’t guarantee you a good racehorse. I suppose the most important thing is that they get to the finish line as fast as they can and stay sound.

Is there any advice that you would give to someone that is looking to get involved in ownership?

I think you have to be lucky when you are buying a horse. Then pick out an honest hardworking trainer. You couldn’t get better than Gordon. You have to find a decent trainer and take their advice.