I WOULD class myself as somewhat of a latecomer to the racing industry, having only really developed a keen interest in my teenage years. However, it has been an integral part of my life over the past two decades as I have forged a successful career as bloodstock manager at Tattersalls Ireland.

Although I was born in Sandymount, my family moved out to Garristown in north Co Dublin when I was very young. It came as quite a culture shock to me at the time but I love it now and would never move back into the city. While I had no upbringing with horses, I learned how to ride on our annual family holidays in Kerry and Donegal.

My father was close friends with Tommy O’Neill’s dad and through that connection I began riding out in their yard. Tommy’s dad was a great horseman and a huge influence on my life. I rode out there regularly and went hunting with the O’Neill’s every weekend. Soon Tommy and I began dating and eventually we were married. Tommy was a leading rider in those days and we had some great times travelling around the country with some of the other jockeys.

I did most of the driving in those days and really enjoyed it. Tommy continues to be involved with the horses at home in Garristown.

SALES

In 1995 I was working for an auctioneering firm in Ashbourne when a friend informed me that Tattersalls Ireland were looking for some part-time staff for the sales season, so I applied and got a job. Initially I worked in the accounts department but after two years I was made permanent and transferred to the bloodstock department. Here I looked after all the passports that came through the office, a much harder job in those days! Horses did not require passports to travel back then, so many of the documents were just left in Tattersalls Ireland. You can imagine the panic on race days when trainers realised that they needed to provide identification for their runners!

In 2008, the late George Mernagh appointed me bloodstock manager – a role that requires me to oversee the efficient day-to-day running of the entire department. I am responsible for correlating each sale catalogue from February to November, making sure the entries are done correctly and that every aspect of the information is accurate before they are sent to print. In this respect we work very closely with Weatherbys. I also organise all the temporary staff for the sales season, as we take on extra workers during those busy periods.

CHILDREN

My own three children have all worked here at Tattersalls Ireland at various stages of their lives. Graham, who is a Garda based in Kilmainham, worked here in his teens, as did Siobhan, who is now based with HRI. Lisa, who has followed in her father’s footsteps and gone on to become a successful jockey, also worked here and still does the sales. I feel that kids get a great grounding working for Tattersalls Ireland and it benefits them in later life.

We are very proud of what Lisa has achieved on the racecourse in recent years, the highlights being two Kerry Nationals, two Ladies Derbys and Cheltenham victory aboard Tiger Roll. That latter success also saw her mother unwittingly become an internet sensation as footage of me celebrating in our local pub went viral!

We are a very close knit group here at Tattersalls Ireland, so the loss of George Mernagh in 2011, was a huge blow to all of us. He was an iconic figure who is still spoken of in glowing terms, be it by staff or clients. He was a real gentleman and is greatly missed by us all.

We are now entering our busiest period of the year; with a one-day Flat Foal and Breeding Stock Sale on November 10th, closely followed by our flagship November National Hunt Sale from November 12th-17th. We have catalogued over 1,400 horses for those dates and are expecting a very good sale.

E-COMMERCE

I have seen a number of changes during my time here at Tattersalls Ireland, with the introduction of e-commerce being one of the huge benefits to the bloodstock department. In the early days, clients had to come into the office to fill out every document and it was all done my hand.

Nowadays, vendors and buyers can enter online, make nominations, upload video footage/photographs and view the catalogues online. On our side, we now confirm all transactions by email, as opposed to letters in bygone years. In this business it is important to stay up to date with technology and provide our clients with the best options available. Tattersalls Ireland continue to be at the forefront of sales in both Ireland and Britain and I hope to continue to be involved for the foreseeable future, as I enjoy working with and being part of such a great team!

Margaret O’Neill was in conversation with John O’Riordan