HOW’S Hannah emerged as an exciting prospect when bolting up on rules debut last month, and the cherry on top for Temple Bloodstock Syndicate was the Weatherbys ITBA NH Fillies Bonus she won in the process. Amy Lynam caught up with syndicate manager and bloodstock agent Aubrey McMahon, as the Willie Mullins-trained mare nears her hurdle debut.

How’s Hannah was impressive at Punchestown. Were you expecting that kind of performance?

We were. Patrick was as sweet on her as any bumper horse I’ve ever known him to be. He would have been shocked to see her get beat, he said her work was very good, so I was very excited from a few days prior.

What’s next for her?

She was entered in a mares’ maiden hurdle at Clonmel, but it was called off, and in a maiden hurdle at Punchestown on Sunday. But we’ve opted for a mares’ maiden hurdle there on Wednesday, hopefully she runs well.

I gather you expect her to be better over hurdles, if you’re going straight down that route?

Yeah, because she jumps really well, she’s 17 hands and she’s seven years old. Thankfully, the Townend family bred her and minded her - I don’t think she did a piece of work until she was a five-year-old - so they deserve a lot of credit for how they handled her.

She’s a big mare, so I’d say chasing next year will be her thing. She won’t have an overly hard year this year; win her maiden and hopefully get some blacktype over hurdles, and I’d imagine by the time Punchestown comes around, it’ll be plenty dry for her.

There’s a graded mares’ hurdle at Limerick on the Thursday of Cheltenham, so we’re thinking of going there if she wins her maiden hurdle.

There was a great gang at Punchestown to enjoy the win. How many are involved?

I’d say we’ve about 15 owners in the How’s Hannah syndicate. Most of them are 5% shares, with a couple of 15% shares. It works well; everyone enjoys it, no matter what size share they have.

Did the syndicate members realise they’d won a €7,500 bonus?

They did after anyway! With any mare I look to buy, the bonus is a big thing when I recommend them to a client; it’s huge to possibly win €7,500 in a bumper and two €5,000 bonuses. Horses aren’t cheap nowadays.

The race’s first prize of €6,600 really puts the importance of the bonus into perspective.

Exactly. I think the Thyestes is worth as much as it was 20 years ago, which isn’t a great reflection of how things have developed.

Prize money is so important; a couple of horses I’ve bought for clients over the last 12 months, owners have actually paid for the horses through their HRI account, from prize money, so it’s not money wasted.

As you know, whether they’re good or bad horses, they all cost the same to keep and costs are increasing all the time.

The cheapest part of horses is buying them. I’m all for good prize money at the top, and I’m not one for catering for lowly-rated horses, but there needs to be decent prize money across the board. Especially in National Hunt racing, the small man is as important as the big man. What percentage of horses are Grade 1 level? I don’t know, but it must be less than 1%.

With all that considered, how big a factor is the ITBA Mares’ Bonus when you’re buying?

If I’m buying a mare for anybody, the first question I ask the person selling is if she’s bonus-qualified. It doesn’t cost much - €300. Sometimes, it could be a dealbreaker; if it was qualified, it could get the sale over the line, because the mare could pay her way a lot easier with the bonuses.

Do you find that it’s in the syndicate members’ minds then while the mare is racing, too?

100%, because when she was entered in a maiden hurdle against geldings on Sunday, and also entered in a mares-only on Wednesday, a few of the lads in the syndicate rang to ask me whether she could win a bonus in either race, but she would only be eligible in the mares-only.

The bonus could dictate where we end up going, but I leave that decision up to Patrick and Willie - I don’t get involved.

Another mare you bought with a very bright future ahead of her is Oldschool Outlaw. Do you find your loyalties are a bit tested now by her rivalry with Bambino Fever and your strong connection with the Willie Mullins yard?

No, no [laughs]. Listen, I’m my own man. I’m self-employed, Willie knows that as well, and so does Gordon. In fairness to Willie, he came over to us at Naas when she beat Bambino Fever and said well done. That’s sport; you win some, you lose some.

So, who do you think wins at Cheltenham?

I don’t think there’ll be much in it.

You should go into politics with an answer like that! Put it this way, who are you backing?

At the prices they are, I already had a few quid on Oldschool Outlaw. She’s 7/2 and I just don’t see her out of the first three.

Finally, are there any smart fillies or mares that we should keep an eye out for?

I secured a deal on an 82-rated filly from Nicholas Clement this week, a Siyouni mare called Cosmic Front. I’ve had an order for a dual-purpose filly from a client for a while now, so that’s the plan for her.

I bought Dinner Dance last week off Patrick Kiely in Dungarvan after she didn’t sell at Cheltenham. Dansant wouldn’t be everyone’s cup of tea, but I’ve always had a bit of time for him, he didn’t cover many mares.

This one’s a half-sister to a dual Group 2 winner on the flat, believe it or not. She won a point-to-point on heavy ground, which she shouldn’t really be doing with her pedigree. She’s a fine, big mare, and she’s bonus-qualified.

Luciole Des Bordes is entered at Gowran today (Saturday). I bought her for €14,000 at the July Store Sale. She’s had two good runs and worked well at the Curragh on Tuesday. Hopefully she’ll end up getting blacktype.