What is your history in the thoroughbred industry?

My dad Al O’Connell was training horses and owning and breeding them, and my mum Betty O’Connell worked for ITM and Racing Promotions at the time.

I went to college in UCD and I studied science. I took a year off afterwards and spent a year out on the farm to see what I was going to do, and I never went back doing anything else. Myself and my dad were doing it together until he passed away in 2018. Born Bright is actually the sixth generation of a family that my dad started breeding from.

Tell us about the pedigree.

La Gamberge was the one Dad started with. He had a share in her, and she won the Naas November Handicap and the Leopardstown November Handicap in the same year. He bred off her, and he got the first two fillies.

Born Bright’s dam, Born Noble, was a good mare, she won her point-to-point for Jamie Codd at Tattersalls, and he said she was the best mare he rode that year, but she had legs like glass.

She had leg trouble and we could never get her right, we tried for a long time, but ended up putting her in foal. She died after having her last foal, two days after we brought the foal home from Boardsmill. We were very upset. She had six foals - five fillies and one colt.

Born Famous was her first foal and she got blacktype. She won a point-to-point for me and she was placed in Ireland. We felt she wouldn’t handle undulating Irish tracks like Downpatrick, so we sent her to Iain Jardine in the UK.

She needed a galloping track, so we thought Perth might suit her. She ran six times and won six times, it was unbelievable.

She used to win from being tailed off and we’d always joke with her jockey Harry Cobden about it.

Do you breed to sell or to run them?

The idea would be to sell the colts, but we ended up with lots of fillies, so we sell a few of them as well or we’ll train them and run them in a point-to-point or on the track.

Tell us about Born Bright, you’ve been with her from the very start.

We called her Born Bright because she’s jet black and has this big white spot on her nose. When I collected her from Boardsmill, they said ‘you won’t lose her in the field anyway, she has this big white spot’.

We used to call her the bull, because when she was a foal, if you were letting her out you’d have to be ready, she’d just come at you! If you didn’t have the rope on her, she’d practically open the door and come out herself. She’s tough out.

Do you notice personality traits that carry on throughout the family?

Yeah, they’re lovely to ride, but they push you around a bit on the ground. They’re quite strong-willed, but they’re very gentle. There were a few of them going back that were very keen. I remember, I think Penn Morgan rode Gentle Flight one day, and he said to my dad, ‘never ask me to ride her again’. They went around Kilbeggan about 20 lengths in front and halving fences. There was a little bit of a tearaway trait in them, but these ones don’t have any of that, thankfully.

How was your day at Fairyhouse?

It was an unbelievable day. To have it at our local track with the whole family, my kids and my husband there, was perfect. I asked Peter Roe during the week what the ground was like and he said it would be safe, perfect ground. It was just a magical day. Adare Manor were lovely sponsors with the trophies and everything, we were on cloud nine. For a small yard and small operation, it just meant the world.

Paddy (O’Brien, jockey) only lives up the road, so he comes in to ride out and school them, he’s very helpful.

It was just a wonderful day and we were treated so well afterwards.

How would you compare the pressure of training a horse that you’ve bred and own, to training a horse that an owner has sent to you?

I would say, training the ones you own yourself, in one way is easier because you’re making decisions for yourself. You don’t have to explain to it to anyone else. On the other hand, if it goes wrong, all the expense is on you, so you’re under more financial pressure. If things go wrong, you’ve only got yourself to blame. There’s two sides of it, it’s a pleasure to train for people, but I suppose the actual joy of rearing them and owning them is very unique.

Have you got any up-and-coming youngsters that you’re looking forward to?

I have Born Bright’s sister, she’s about to be named now. She’s by Famous Name as well, so they’re full-sisters. She’s a four-year-old and then I have another sister by Court Cave. She’s a full-sister to Born Braver, who won a point-to-point for me. I sold him to Gavin Cromwell and he won twice for Gavin, so I suppose they’re the two we’re really looking forward to.

Have you got retirement plans for your horses?

We’re lucky that my daughter does a bit of eventing, so we have a few contacts, and there’s neighbours here that do a bit of show jumping and eventing. All of my kids do a bit of hunting, so we have a lot of friends in the sport horse end of it. We’d always make sure they go to a good home.

Do you find it challenging at times trying to sell the horses?

I’ve gone to the sales and just brought them home. It’s very tricky. I had Glen Ava, she won for me, and she won three in England; I brought her to the sales and it was so disheartening. They didn’t want to know about her.

I brought four foals to the sales last year and only sold one, so it can be tricky. It’s very selective. I think people rate the mares less than the stallions, which I think is a bit of a shame, because a good mare will breed anything. They have a handful of sires they want, and the rest they don’t want to know about.

Lucky enough, a lot of people I have horses for are breeders, and they breed to race here. I look after young horses for Tom Ford as well, he brings them over here and then they run in England. He really enjoys coming and seeing them from day one as well, which gives you a great joy. Two of them ran on Tuesday in Market Rasen for Sue Smith: Taras Halls and Rialannah.

We also have the dam and sister of Terrestita, who is trained by Lucy Wadham. She comes home to me for the summer. She won two chases last year and got blacktype.