Tell us about your background in the industry.

I started my first and only job with Jim Bolger in 2002, when I was 14, just finishing second year in St Kieran’s College in Kilkenny. I had a pony at home with my father, but I was barely able to ride and knew nothing about thoroughbreds. We have a farm at home, so I wanted to work outdoors and have a few pounds for the summer.

I learned everything in Jim’s, mucking out, yard work and feeding. The late Sean Cleary taught me how to ride on a retired thoroughbred in the sand arena and then I eventually made it down to the gallops.

After school, I got a degree in psychology in Waterford and carried on working for Jim on weekends. I got my amateur licence while I was in college and got a few rides from Jim, Brendan Duke and Des McDonagh. I rode three winners for them in my 20s. I stayed in Jim’s full-time after college and I never looked back, I’m assistant trainer now.

Jim has been so good to me over the years, I’m very grateful for him, so I’m delighted to have bred a winner for him.

Was ownership always on your mind?

At a young age, I wasn’t thinking about ownership, I only thought about racing and riding winners.

After a couple of years, I started pinhooking, buying foals and yearlings. When you don’t manage to sell one, you’re left with no choice but to run them, so that’s where ownership came into it.

I bought a few mares from Jim then, and a few myself at the sales, and that’s when I wanted to breed a winner. It’s a great feeling to get a horse to the track and to win a race. It’s a brilliant feeling.

What mares have you got at the moment?

I have three mares at home, two of them I bought from Jim are by Teofilo. One of them is Ardnosach, Ard Na Mara’s dam. I used to ride her out when she was in training and I loved her. I bought a half-share from Jim at Goffs. She was in foal to Dawn Approach and that filly is a broodmare at Redmondstown Stud now.

I have a two-year-old in the yard at the moment showing potential. She’s a bit like Ard Na Mara, she’ll take a bit of time, but she’s lovely. Ardnosach has a Mirage Dancer filly at foot currently and she’s in foal to him again.

The other Teofilo mare has a Soldier’s Call filly at foot and she’s an absolute stunner. I have a Supremacy filly and a racey Lucky Vega filly for the November sales as well, so there’s plenty to look forward to.

How was your day at Punchestown? I see you had the whole family there.

It was probably one of the best days of my career, of my life in racing anyway for sure. To have my two little ones there, Tommy and Annie, and Christina my wife, with both of our parents as well. Punchestown is a beautiful track with beautiful facilities, everything was top-class, we were really well looked after.

There were a few things concerning me going into the race. She was drawn 15, so I was hoping to get plenty of pace on which there was in the end, which helped us an awful lot to get in and get a good position. The trip, a mile and one, is just far too short for her, but I wanted to run in a median auction race, so I took a chance with that one. Her first two runs over a mile and a quarter were very impressive as well.

What’s next for Ard Na Mara?

Down the line she needs further, a mile and a half plus. Hopefully, she’ll run over hurdles in time, she’s done some schooling at home and she’s got a super jump. She’s rated 75 after her win at Punchestown, which isn’t too bad, so she’ll probably go for a 0-80 handicap next. There’s one in Down Royal on September 30th, so she could go there if the ground isn’t too firm. She is for sale though as a nice National Hunt prospect.

Do you have a retirement plan for your horses?

At Jim’s we have some good contacts in the polo industry, they take the types that fit their category and we know what they like at this stage. There’s also a girl in the yard, who has retrained a few and gets on great with them.

We always give them a pop at home over a pole and then we’ll give them away for nothing to good homes, there’s some people in the show jumping or eventing industry that would take them as well, if they’re not good enough for racing, and bring them to one day events and things like that.

Some of the mares end up being broodmares as well, like the ones that I’ve got.

Would you have any advice for someone wanting to get into ownership or even start with breeding?

With ownership, for a start, the every-day man or woman isn’t a millionaire. If you love horses and want to get involved, the best way is to start with a little syndicate, a 2% share or whatever you can afford, get a taste for it and have your day out. Whether you win or lose, it’s great to have a day out and a bit of craic.

Eventually, you could start increasing to 25% shares or get a few friends together for a syndicate. Financially, it’s hard to buy a racehorse. You could spend €15,000 at the sales and then you might need to get them broken in somewhere and then there’s training fees, most people don’t have that money.

With the breeding aspect, first you need land. I think it’s difficult to pay someone to mind the mare when you could do it yourself on your own land. You might need to send the mare away for a few weeks when she’s foaling, but with some experience, you could do that yourself as well.

You need to have a plan in place before your foal is on the ground. Do you want to race or sell or keep it for a year? It’s important to have a financial plan in place, as well as knowing what you want to do with the offspring.