Amy Lynam spoke to Rob Acheson of Robcour to learn about plans for his family’s unbeaten three-year-old Highland Crystal, the importance of the bonus she won at Punchestown, and his thoughts on academy hurdles

Highland Crystal looked really special at Punchestown - were you expecting that sort of performance?

I can’t say we were, to be honest. Everyone who has ever dealt with her has always liked her; she went to Paddy and Jack Kennedy to be broken and Paddy’s asked about her a couple of times since. Gordon says that in her work, while she’s never flashy, she’s been up with good horses, and you’d sometimes ask ‘what’s that?’

Would you usually be hopeful, rather than confident, heading to the races?

I think between myself and dad, I’d certainly be the optimist. I’d be a glass half full, and he wouldn’t even be glass half empty; his glass would be shattered! [laughs]. Particularly in maidens and beginners, before they get found out for what they are, everyone likes to think they might be something special.

You made it to Newbury for her listed win. She was sent off evens favourite, but how confident were you going into the race?

I was nervous that day. At Punchestown, you didn’t really know what was in behind her, so it was hard to get a feel for the race itself as nothing had run since.

She did it very well. It was the quickest she’d ever gone early in it, so she didn’t really know what was happening. She missed the first and then she looked a bit uncomfortable going over the road, but once she got into it, she knew what she was doing. Jordan gave her a brilliant ride.

How has Highland Crystal come out of Newbury and what’s next for her?

She’s getting an easy few weeks now, just because she ran twice in 15 days. We’re not going to run over Christmas.

I’d say we’ll end up going to Doncaster in the third week in January, there’s a listed fillies’ race again there. I’d say she’ll end up running against most of the horses she ran against already, so that looks a nice target for her.

Of course, given that academy hurdle winners retain maiden status, she could have run in a maiden hurdle rather than go up in grade straight away. What do you think of the conditions of academy hurdles?

I’d be a big advocate of them myself. I think they serve a great purpose, because while I know she’s forward enough, we have a couple of horses that we’re thinking of sending to them as well who would be more backward types.

If they won, they’d lose their novice status for next year and, even if you run again this year, you’ve to run in a graded company, which isn’t ideal. So, it just gets the ball moving a lot quicker.

Before these were even announced, we’ve been going over to France to find a couple of two-year-olds the last three summers now. We find that rather than having to wait a couple of years with them to get them rocking and rolling in point-to-points or maiden hurdles, they just make the process a lot quicker.

I know John Nallen’s been using them for selling, which makes plenty of sense for him, but Jessie’s horse, Quinta Do Lago, wasn’t for sale. I think it’s a brilliant initiative.

Highland Crystal won a €7,500 bonus at Punchestown as part of the Weatherbys ITBA NH Fillies Bonus Scheme. Is it a scheme you’ve used in the past?

We’ve had a couple of fillies that have won a bonus before. At the store sales, we always look for nice fillies. They look like a bit of value if you win the prize money for your maiden, as well as the bonus, so it’s worth entering the scheme.

At Punchestown, the race itself was worth €6,600 to the winner, so the bonus carries plenty of weight.

The bonus makes a huge difference. There’s a lot of people complaining about prize money at times, and I’d be included in that for certain races, but when you’re doubling your pot, or more than doubling your pot, it makes a huge difference. It even adds to the feeling of winning.

It’s brilliant, and it gives you more confidence to go and support the sales again next year.

Speaking of the sales, did you buy a two-year-old thinking it might offer better value, seeing as you bought Highland Crystal before the academy hurdles were announced?

I suppose buying a two-year-old suited us at the time, because we were just after getting the land at home, so we could afford to wait the extra year with them. Before that, I don’t think it would have made sense, because we would have been paying keep for them.

At the moment, we’ll try every avenue to get nice horses, and we’re really lucky to have Mags O’Toole at the head of it now.

The Irish store sales featured two-year-olds for the first time this year - did you buy any with a view to the Academy Hurdles?

We did. We got a lovely Poet’s Word half-brother to Hello Neighbour and A Wave Of The Sea.

He’s at home now, and we’ll get him broken at the end of January, start of February. Then he’ll come back for his break, and he’ll get rocking and rolling next August.