PATIENCE is a key component in training racehorses, so after giving Schoolboy Error a year on the sidelines, I am delighted that he has made our wait worthwhile with three wins in recent weeks. As a horse bred to get even better with age, I am confident that we have yet to see the best of this five-year-old gelding.

I started out with Charlie O’Neill, before moving on to Peter McCreery, who was also based in Clane at that time. At 18, I went to Tony Martin, for whom I rode out until last March. At that point I got too busy in my own yard so decided to give it my full attention. I still go in to Tony the odd morning and ride a few lots if needs be but basically I work at home these days. I enjoyed some wonderful times with horses such as Bog Warrior, Dedigout, Ted Veale and Quick Jack during my years with Tony (Martin).

As well as riding work, I also broke a few horses, so got a great education which stood to me. After taking out my own trainer’s licence in 2012, I was fortunate enough to get a couple of nice horses which did very well for us.

SCENERY

Caolaneoin had been in a few different yards before joining us as his owners just felt he may benefit from a change of scenery. Luckily that proved to be the case and rose to become a 120-rated handicapper before retiring. Charlie Stout is another decent handicapper who has been carrying the yard for the last few years. He is always there abouts in those big handicap hurdles, seldom running a bad race. Urbanist, Simone and Youngnedofthehill also won for us under National Hunt rules last season.

I have had fewer runners on the flat but those that raced have done well. My first winner, Sister Slew, was bought out of a Laytown claimer, against my better judgement.

A neighbour of ours thought we could win with that mare although at the time I told him she was a bad claim! On this occasion I was delighted to be proved wrong as she went on to win three times for us before departing for the breeding sheds.

Schoolboy Error was put to me by a good friend who had seen him as a young horse. He was bred just five minutes up the road from us before going into training with Jamie Osborne. The horse was entered in the Goffs UK Sale in September 2016 but was withdrawn before that sale.

PATIENCE

I rang Jamie Osborne who told me that Schoolboy Error had gotten a leg so had to be taken out. He suggested that if I was patient enough to give the horse time, he could turn out to be a decent purchase.

The whole family seem to improve with age and he is a half-brother to Gold Cup winner Trip To Paris. Following 12 months on the sidelines, lots of roadwork and slow cantering, we eventually got Schoolboy Error back to the track in January. After a few very encouraging early runs, he won his first race for us at Dundalk in March, before adding two further successes. I firmly believe that he has more to offer, as he is a versatile type, who can be dropped back or stepped up in trip. Hopefully, we can visit the winner’s enclosure again in the coming months.

I have 11 horses in at the moment, four or five for the track, the remainder for point-to-points. We try to buy a couple of nice young horses each year, with a view to selling on if we can get some form into them in a bumper or point-to-point. In that respect, we have been quite lucky in recent times with a few horses doing well enough to guarantee a profit overall.

I ride out most mornings myself and we also have a couple of lads that come in during the week. My partner Zoe looks after the entries and paperwork as well as taking care of the owners.

In the longer term, I just want to keep my head down, work hard and build up the business. If horses like Schoolboy Error continue to give us much needed exposure then that may well be possible.

Shane Nolan was in conversation with John O’Riordan.