A TRIP to the Punchestown Festival while school is out, if only for half a day, can live long in the memory of every child growing up in Kildare. For some, it leaves a lasting impression which can lead to them making a career out of racing and Carbury trainer and former amateur Philip Dempsey is no exception.

The trainer, who hopes to have one or two runners at the Festival this week, vividly recalls his early visits there as a child in the 1970s.

He enthused: “I love Punchestown and look forward to it every year. I have four brothers around the same age and, with our neighbours, there’d always be plenty of us walking down to the big double.

“There were always big crowds and Ted Walsh, John Fowler, Frank Berry and Tommy Carberry were the jockeys we’d be following. Colin Magnier, Timmy O’Callaghan, John Queally and Timmy Jones were the other big names.

“I remember Ted (Walsh) getting a fall off a horse of P.P. Hogan’s one day in one of the bank races – I can still remember the clatter but he was up off the ground straight away to find out who was winning the race.”

Dempsey, who surprisingly never rode over the banks but was successful in the champion bumper at Punchestown for Homer Scott on Adanac, has made a successful transition to the training ranks and despite all the constant talk of doom and gloom, he is refreshingly upbeat about his chosen career and the future of racing in Ireland.

After a fruitful career spanning roughly 20 years or so as an amateur, during which he was on the top many trainers’ lists of riders when it came to bumpers, he made the switch to training, starting off in a small yard in Derrinturn in Co Kildare where he had plenty of luck selling point-to-pointers for profit.

His uncle Luke was a bachelor tillage and cattle farmer, who lived just up the road in his father’s home place in Carbury.

Philip was a regular visitor, often giving him a hand with various tasks. “All he ever did was work,” said Philip. “And he worked until he was 87. When he died, he left the place to me, so we got our place sold and my wife Regina and I gradually built up this place.”

Dempsey, whose son Luke is working hard at re-establishing himself as a jockey. “I come from a long line of Lukes, so there was no point calling him anything else.”

Dempsey set about building a house for his family first before focusing on the yard. The latter has grown from a traditional old-style farmyard, “a few of the old buildings have been converted with the old character modified but nothing has been knocked” into a modern set-up with a new barn and 40 stables.

“But,” Philip categorically stated: “We always have room for another horse.”

FACILITIES

The trainer has the use of 240 acres and commented: “It’s a great open space, a great place for training horses.”

He has always been a firm believer in ploughing any profit he makes back into the business.

His set-up speaks for itself with two four-furlong round and straight gallops, and a mile-and-a-half grass gallop. All of which are great assets when it comes to educating young horses.

He reflected: “I don’t lack for facilities and we try to do a bit every year and add to it. As a friend of mine once said, so there are no excuses!”

The trainer keeps it manageable and usually has 25 or so horses riding out over the winter but inevitably some fall by the wayside with injury.

He said: “I used to have horses mostly for point-to-points but I’ve had more for the track in the last two years and Mr Diablo was a great servant, despite having plenty of injuries.”

TAKE NOTICE

Jackson’s Lady was the first one to make people sit up and take notice of the trainer with her achievements on the track, and he recalled: “I always had a soft spot for her and she won a point-to-point and a few nice handicaps. I owned half of her and then J.P. (McManus), who has another horse with us, bought her. She raced until she was 10 or 11 and he retained her for breeding.”

This year Derrinross, Dempsey’s late father Desmond’s horse, has done Philip and Luke proud with successes at both Grade 2 and 3 level.

Tom Furlong, who did a lot of work on the development, has a half share and he is due to take his chance in the Grade 1 three-mile Irish Daily Mirror Novice Hurdle at Punchestown.

Meanwhile at Fairyhouse last week, the promising Caravation, who will going over the larger obstacles next season, took a big step up the ladder to Grade 1 company for the mares’ novice hurdle championship final on Easter Sunday, only to finish down the field.

The well-related Presenting mare is owned by William Flood of Boardsmill Stud and Philip remarked: “He’s been a good supporter of ours and is a good man to go to for advice.”

Dempsey was obviously concentrating on his runners at Fairyhouse first but hopes to have a couple of representatives at Punchestown as well.

His wife Regina, doesn’t come from a horsey background but she looks after the office and their daughter Sarah, who rode in a few charity races, studied in UCD and educated is to Masters level, is pursuing a career in corporate finance.

The trainer admits: “Racing has changed alot. It’s all different now but it’s changed for the better and the horses are better now. You could complain and give out every day but I’m an optimist and you just have to go out and make it happen.”

He added: “One thing I don’t have to worry about is staff – there are good lads around here and a couple of the jockeys come in, as well as Luke and Aidan Burns who ride work for me.

“Gail Carlisle, who used to work for Willie (Mullins), isn’t with me that long but she checks their legs and Keith Quinn, who used to ride a bit on the flat, is my head man.”

Philip is also very fortunate in the owners department, commenting: “They wouldn’t be knocking the door down but I have a nice bunch of owners.

“I won’t keep a horse who’s no good – I’ve no interest in a bad horse and his owner won’t come back again, so I tell them as quick as I can.”

Such honesty, as they say, is a virtue and one that pays off in the long run.