How did you get involved with racing?

C.J.: My parents were always very interested in racing. My mum is a Magee from Trim and her family were steeped in racing. Both of her brothers, Jimmy and Sean, were jockeys. They took us racing when we were kids. My father-in-law, Bertie, was an equine vet, so when I married Rena it kept everything alive.

Bertie: I was involved with racing for a long time before I ever met C.J. My friends and I had our very first horse, Lodge Hill, in training with Willie Mullins. He won a few races for us and we had a couple more after that. I had one or two with Willie on my own after that.

And then my daughter Rena married C.J. He’s a good racing man and we decided we’d invest in a horse together. Tony was the first trainer we were involved with together and we’ve had a lot of good luck with him. Orandi arrived on the scene and he was great from day one. There’s great trust between C.J. and Tony, I can see it.

It must be handy to have the advice of an equine vet at your disposal!

C.J.: Bertie understands horses. It’s very hard to get a horse that cost as little as Orandi to that level, and Bertie understands horses inside out. We had to be patient because he had a few issues; tendon problems, shoulder problems, weaknesses, and Tony has given him such tender care. You need to understand the horses like Bertie does, none of it is an instant fix. You can’t buy a horse expecting a big run immediately, it’s a slow, slow process.

It must have been a great buzz to have a winner at 40/1.

C.J.: I’m involved with a hurling team and we were playing a championship quarter-final, so I had to be there and couldn’t make it to the races. Our match finished at 5.15 and we were beaten, but most of the boys had him backed so we were in the car park at the venue and you’d have heard them shouting in Trim! We didn’t know if he’d stay the mile and a quarter, but Tony and his work riders were quite confident that he would, and it’s opened up a lot of avenues for us now that we know he’ll stay.

Robbie Colgan would have had the ride but he was in hospital, so Tony gave me a few options for other jockeys and Ronan Whelan was one of them. Ronan’s ridden for us before and he was an option so I jumped at him straight away. He gave him a brilliant ride on Sunday. He’s a master on a horse and an absolute gentleman.

B: I don’t get over excited about races. They either win or they lose, but it was great. I was particularly delighted for C.J. and Rena more than I was for myself. I wasn’t at the races, I had a bad cold and being from West Cork, the big drive wouldn’t have suited me.

I stayed put and watched it at home with one of my sons and we nearly jumped through the ceiling! I’ve never backed a horse at that price in my life, but we were sure that we was in top form so we had a few bob on him. I don’t know how he got to that price. If he was 1000/1 we’d still have backed him! Tony has done an outstanding job with him.

Tell me more about Orandi, where did you buy him?

C.J.: I love the horse so much. I bought him out of Tony’s when he bought a couple from France and gave me the pick of them. I thought he was a very intelligent looking horse. We took him to Dundalk at the start and Niall McCullagh rode him. I could tell you every run he’s had! He thought we had a nice horse, but he told us to keep him out of Dundalk, that the surface didn’t suit him.

He ended up getting a leg, and we weren’t sure whether we should keep going with him. Ger Kelly in Fethard did a great job with him, but when he came back, he was tender enough. He’s rarely run a bad race for us, but he wasn’t himself when he ran in the Lincoln in Doncaster earlier in the year.

Jack Kearney rode him and was easy on him when things weren’t going well, so Tony took him back to the yard and gave him a bit of care, and now he’s in a place he’s never been before.

B: Everything is grand about Orandi. He has a great temperament, he’s not too big and he has a heart of steel.

Were you prepared for all of the patience you’d need through your family’s involvement in the industry?

C.J.: I probably wasn’t prepared for the length of time we had to wait, especially when they get injured. We bought him as a three-year-old colt and we gelded him. When they come from France, they can take some time and Tony told me that. Unfortunately he got hurt and that took even more time.

He’s eight now, so we’ve had him five years and he was off the track for almost two of those. Tony knew what he had and knew the way to train him. We always knew he was best on ground with a bit of give in it because his shoulders and tendons aren’t great, but they’ve improved.

Tony has improved him over the years which is amazing. What he’s done in his last two runs has been amazing. Orandi wouldn’t be what he is without Tony, there’s no question about that. Tom Finn, and Davy Bean ride him out and they love him.

Masaki Yamamoto is fantastic to him and Nicki Gomez takes care of him in the barn. It’s a great team effort out there and we’re so grateful to all of the staff. Tony is my close friend as well as our trainer. He’s a wonderful horseman, and he’s very up front with us about everything. He gets the best out very average horses.

Do you go to the yard much?

C.J.: I go out every second week. I was there on the Friday before he ran for his last piece of work. It’s only seven miles out the road so I go over as often as I can. I find that the horses are very therapeutic animals. Unfortunately, I have an illness, but the horses help me amazingly, they keep me alive. I was at the yard that Friday for two hours and I left feeling like a new man. What they bring to the table is unbelievable.

Do you enjoy being involved in partnerships over syndicates or owning by yourself?

C.J.: I definitely prefer small partnerships. I’ve been in syndicates and they can be tricky. Everyone becomes an expert on the horse. I have another horse with Tony called Deralo who I have with a very good friend of mine, Fearghal Eastwood.

I prefer two people if possible, but I had four or five in the syndicate with Marvel Man and they were all grand fellas. Those very big syndicates don’t rock my boat at all. Everyone wants a shout at what the horse is doing and I prefer to be somewhat in control myself.

What advice would you give to someone that wanted to get involved in ownership?

C.J.: It’s an expensive game, but nothing should suffer if you want to get involved. We have a very good business thank God, and my family are all educated, but if you have a little bit of excess, it’s a lovely thing to get involved in.

Don’t go into debt to buy a horse because you won’t get it back, unless you get as lucky as we did. It’s so hard to get them to the racetrack, it’s had to get them to be competitive and it’s almost impossible for them to win. You could dip your toe into it with a big syndicate first, and if things go well you can have a crack with a smaller syndicate or partnership, or even go on your own if you feel like it.