IT seemed as though Georgian Bay was the horse everyone wanted when declarations were revealed for a Dundalk Claiming race on 15th March.

I had my eye on the nine-year-old, as I felt he had been put in at a value price and had the potential to win further races. Fortunately, my name was drawn out after the race, thus allowing me to put a preconceived plan in motion.

INTERST IN RACING

My interest in horses dates back to my granny, who always had the racing on in her house.

As a kid, I used to call into her every day and we would sit together watching the television. It was the era of Istabraq, so I grew up following the fortunes of Charlie Swan, Aidan O’Brien and JP McManus.

At 13, I started riding out for local Batterstown trainer Eddie Cawley, a job I retain to the present day. Initially, it was just at weekends and school holidays but I went full-time as soon as I finished my education.

I took out an amateur licence while with Eddie, riding eight winners in point-to-points and a handful of placed horses on the track.

My best result under rules was a third placed finish in the Gigginstown Bumper at Fairyhouse one year.

I continued to ride as an amateur until the end of the 2011/12 season, at which time I retired and worked away in Eddie’s yard.

A couple of lads I played football with suggested we buy a point-to-point horse ourselves and before I knew it we had 10 guys involved.

I had the horse at home and trained him to finish second in three point-to-points. After some time, I got another horse, Dunroe Boy, who was second on the final day of the 2015 point-to-point season at Ballingarry.

With both horses set to continue their careers under rules, I decided applied for a trainer’s licence so I could run them.

HRI were very accommodating at the time, helping both Emmet Mullins and myself get our licences just in time to send out our first runners. Ironically, we both trained our first winner on the same night at Kilbeggan on June 22nd, 2015. Dunroe Boy was the horse that got me off the mark as a trainer, winning a three-mile handicap hurdle.

SETTING UP

Over the last few seasons, I have concentrated on building up my yard and establishing the business.

We have had a lot of placed horses both at home and in Britain, as well as winners and places in point-to-points.

In the last few months, we had two point winners, both ridden by my young cousin, Cathal McCormack.

He has made a great start to his career as a jockey, with two winners, a second and a third from just 10 rides.

He is doing his Leaving Cert this year but comes in to ride out for me whenever possible. We have eight horses in at the moment but have room for 12 and are expanding the whole time.

Last year we put in a two-furlong Wexford sand gallop, and we are currently planning to build a couple of new lunge rings. It’s a real family run operation, with my father and mother, brother and sister all chipping in.

We have a real busy weekend this week, with two runners in point-to-points on Sunday and two on the track at Tramore on Monday.

I run a really nice Flemensfirth mare on Sunday – she is one we are very hopeful about.

I already had the plan in place to return to Dundalk on April 5th if I was lucky enough to get Georgian Bay. I know many thought he wouldn’t stay 12 furlongs but I was confident that he would.

The horse had never been asked to race over that trip previously but wasn’t stopped at the end of his runs, so I thought it was worth taking the chance.

Summer jumping was another option and I planned to school him last week if he hadn’t been claimed.

I was delighted with how everything worked out with the horse. Unfortunately we lost him to another claim but he done us proud, winning the race and making twice what we paid for him.

I wish his new connections the best of luck, as he is a horse that can continue to run very well and win again.

Thomas Coyle was in conversation with John O’Riordan