EDIFICATION, who has already provided us with some memorable moments this season, bids to enhance his ‘rags to riches’ story when lining up in a Premier Handicap at Leopardstown on Saturday. I, like most others, could scarcely have imagined the horse would end up racing on Champions Weekend when he began his journey in a bottom grade handicap at Dundalk last winter.

My family are steeped in racing, so it was perhaps only natural that I would one day end up training horses. When I was growing up, my uncle Seamus Fahey had a licence, while two other uncles, Peter and Jarlath, were race-riding. Both have since graduated to the training ranks with plenty of success.

My dad, Tom, is a well-known farrier who shoes for some of the leading names in the game. As a kid, I used to tag along whenever he went into yards such as those of Willie Mullins, Jessica Harrington, Tom Foley and Michael O’Brien. By my early teens I had started to ride out for my uncles, so the aforementioned trainers also put me up on a few lots while Dad went about his work.

Amateur career

At 16, I got an amateur licence, riding in point-to-points and bumpers; mostly on family-owned horses. My grandmother owned a few and she gave all of her grandchildren opportunities. My uncles Jarlath, Paul and Seamus Fahey were all training by that stage, so I got plenty of experience.

Later, I went on to ride as stable amateur for Jessica Harrington, enjoying plenty of success in that role. Among the highlights was winning two bumpers on Jezki, who later went on to win the Champion Hurdle.

By 2013, I already had one eye on a training career, taking out a permit, while continuing to actively ride under rules. I used to do my own horses in the morning, then go into Jessie’s before finishing at home in the afternoon. Unfortunately a serious fall ended my career in the saddle, forcing me to take up training a little earlier than planned.

Early success

Point The Toes, a mare owned by my grandmother, gave me my first winner with a permit. That particular mare was a real family favourite, as she also gave my brother Brendan and sister Niamh their initial successes under rules.

Jealika was another mare who did really well for me starting off – she won four races in all, including twice at the Listowel Festival. Das Mooser also stands out, as she won for us at Punchestown, a track that would be quite close to us in Kildare.

I have done well with horses I inherited from other yards, Oneoveryou and Cappadocia being two prime examples. Both those horses won twice for us having started life with different handlers. Edification arrived here towards the end of last season, looking no more than an ordinary handicapper who could possibly win a small race. If only we knew then the exciting journey he was about to take us on.

Having run a couple of times either side of Christmas, he was then an unlucky-in-running third in a Dundalk handicap in mid-January this year. On his next start he made up for that near-miss, making up a serious amount of ground to get up close home.

Since that night, he has gone close on numerous occasions and added two further successes – Naas in June, Tramore in August – to his tally with us. On Saturday afternoon at Leopardstown, he faces his stiffest test to date.

Both his enthusiastic owners, Derek and Michelle Murray, and I intend to enjoy the day, with anything else an added bonus. I only have seven or eight horses in training, so to be represented on such a big stage is fantastic for us.

Looking further ahead, Well Set Up is a mare we have high hopes for over jumps this winter. She won on her racecourse debut at Down Royal in 2018 but never really got her ground after that. Her most recent start, when only beaten by a nose in a Grade 3 hurdle at Limerick, gave us an indication of what she can do.

I, for one, will be praying for plenty of rain in the coming months!

We are a small family-run operation with everyone helping out; Dad, my brothers Brendan, Keith and sister Niamh muck in whenever they can. Triona and Darren come in to ride out for us and Ian McCarthy and Ricky Doyle school and ride our jumping horses, while Ronan Whelan, Ross Coakley and Shane Foley ride for us on the flat.

Mark Fahey was in conversation with John O’Riordan.