How did you get involved in racing?

I suppose you could blame my father! I’ve been going to meetings with him since I was no age. As a youngster, I rode the neighbour’s pony and I’ve taken it back up again with my own hunter for the last 15 years. I ride with the Armagh and Tynan Hunt. Navan was always my favourite track and now Amanha has won there so that was a bonus. Dermot Kelly, another syndicate member, went racing with my father when he was a teenager as our parents lived close to one another. He ended up living beside me and he took me to race meetings as well when I was a teenager.

How did you get the syndicate set up?

Myself and Dermot were in syndicates beforehand. A good friend of ours from Armagh who is now in France, was always involved in show jumpers before getting into the racing game as well. She has a great eye for a young horse and breeding. She rang us to tell us about a lovely three-year-old Authorized filly.

We gathered up another four people, all from Armagh, and we bought her. We never even went over to look at her. Initially, we were keeping her in France, and as a four-year-old she went into training with Louisa Carberry. In 2022 she was ready for a run as a four-year-old but the ground went terribly hard in France which isn’t normal. Louisa says it could be a blessing in disguise as she was still growing and maturing, and it could have been the making of her if we held off for a year.

We decided to bring her home, and we took her to the sales in November of that year. Donal White of Foxwood Stud prepared her for us, but she didn’t make what we thought we’d get for her, so we bought her back and took her home. A friend of mine who’s been working with and breaking horses all his life kept her for about six months to settle her as she was a bit fiery. We decided to race her then, and the unanimous decision was to send her to Dermot McLoughlin. He’s well proven and a hell of a nice guy. He’s an honest man which is what you want in this game. He’s done a grand job with her and she’s stayed sound.

Where did the name ‘Wild Geese’ come from?

We named the syndicate the Wild Geese because, we’re all from Armagh but, there’s only two of us still here. There’s one in Dublin, one in France, one in Switzerland and one in Italy. There’s only been one occasion that we’ve all been at the races together, at Wexford when we were beaten in a photo finish.

The guy from Switzerland flew in especially for it. Hopefully we’ll go for a race at the Punchestown Festival and people are making tentative travel arrangements for then. It would be nice to have a runner there, but Dermot will make the end decision, he’s the professional.

Amanha has been so consistent for you.

She’s had 14 runs and only been out of the first four twice. At Navan in March was the first time that we really got the ground to suit her. We ran her at the Dublin Racing Festival but it rained overnight and that put paid to her chances there. She still ran a good race and we were happy with it.

Did you have a good day out when she won in March?

Navan was always my favourite track so it was an added bonus that she won there. It’s a stiff track. I go to most Navan meetings because it’s not that far. We were well looked after and we had good celebrations after, they went on until about Tuesday!

There were only a few of us there because it’s hard to get everybody together. She was in terrific form and she looks a million dollars every time she runs. Dermot does a hell of a job and she’s got best turned out on a number of occasions.

You’ve got a nice relationship with Dermot then?

You couldn’t meet a nicer fella. He’s as honest as the day is long and he’s done a fine job with her. Touch wood her soundness continues. I just let the man get on with his job and he keeps us informed on how things are going.

I’ve been down a few times to watch her gallop and he has a fine set-up. Lee Valley isn’t far way for schooling and he’s near Skryne as well which is a good gallops. Paddy O’Hanlon, who’s won on her twice, has gotten to know her well now. She fought a bit with the jockeys in bumpers, but last time out she settled the whole way. She never pulled or ran with the choke out.

Have you been involved in any nice horses in the past?

We were involved in a half-decent horse that won a few races for us a couple of years ago called Victor Sherlock. I couldn’t tell you how many years ago it was. We had one with Adrian Keatley, but that unfortunately got injured on the gallops. So we appreciate the wins and having a horse that’s as hardy as Amanha is a surreal bonus.

How did you come up with your colours?

It all started with the name of the horse. Amanha is an Arabic word, and in the Palestinian dialect, it means respect. All six of us are members of the Irish Palestinian Solidarity Campaign, so we named the horse for that reason. We chose the colours for that reason as well, as a token of solidarity.

Have you got any more horses?

We have a three-year-old filly by Harzand. She’s a fine big filly, and we thought about selling her unbroken, but we’ve decided now to start breaking her this week and we’ll see how we go with her next year as a four-year-old. By the looks of things, Harzand is going to be a great sire.

Has the syndicate been a good way to be involved?

Absolutely. We’re all working and retired men and women, and it’s an expensive business so a syndicate is the only way for the likes of us.

Even with the Harzand filly, we probably couldn’t sustain two horses in training at the one time, so we’ll see what way Amanha goes. In my head, I don’t know about Dermot’s, but if we got another race out of her we could put her over fences then and see how that goes before getting the other one into training.

Would she make a broodmare eventually?

In my head, I would say we’ll sell her on as a broodmare when she’s finished her racing career. She’d make a fine broodmare, she’s a good size. It would be nice to get a bit of blacktype as well, which she’s just missed out on twice being beaten into fourth place.