OUR tiny Co Carlow stable have been living the dream this season with cheap purchase Rashaan, unbeaten in three starts over hurdles. Although he faces by far his stiffest test to date, in the Grade 2 Juvenile Hurdle at Leopardstown this afternoon, I am confident that he can hold his own and make a real race of it.

Horses were bred into me from both sides of the family and there was never any question that I would be anything other than a trainer. While my Dad was essentially a farmer, he always trained a few horses and had plenty of winners over the years.

My mother, Amy Nicholson, was steeped in racing - her dad owning both Irish Grand National winner Vulpine and three-time Cesarewitch victor, Bigaroon.

From a young age I could be found out in the yard helping my Dad with the broodmares and foals and I also learned how to ride and hunt while still in primary school. At 17, I took out an amateur licence and while I never had any great aspirations of becoming a jockey, I rode for my Dad in point-to-points and bumpers.

The experience was not lost on me and I certainly feel it was a benefit when I later started training – it’s not as easy as it looks from the stands!

SHIRT AND TIE

I was never going to be one for college, so after completing my Leaving Certificate I did a hotel management course and spent a short time working in that industry.

I suppose it was something a bit different and I got to experience that lifestyle but I knew from early on that I didn’t want to be going to work every day in a shirt and tie!

I returned home and served by apprenticeship with my father, before doing the trainers’ course in RACE in 2009 and taking over the licence.

I was fortunate in that the facilities for training were already in place and we had around 10 horses at the time, both owned by ourselves and outside patrons.

As luck would have it, the economic bubble burst and the Celtic Tiger died, around the same time I was starting out. So, for a few years, we just had to get the heads down and work hard in order to see out the recession.

In 2010/11, we trained six winners in the space of six months, a fair achievement for such a small yard.

Back Of The Pack, an exceptional mare, was the last winner Dad trained and she went on to land a Grade 3 novice chase in Cork when I took over. Raheenwood, my first winner, also recorded a treble that season, helping get me off to a flying start.

I later bought, Back In A Tic, a half-sister to Back Of The Pack, as an unbroken three-year-old at Tattersalls and she went on to win the Brown Lad Handicap Hurdle at Naas.

STABLE STARS

After the retirement of those stable stars, we were on the lookout for a replacement but never dreamed of what lay in wait.

Last February, Dad, Victor Treacy and myself went to Goffs sales, hoping to buy a nice jumping prospect.

Despite our extensive research into formlines and pedigrees it didn’t take long for it to dawn on us that most horses on our list were out of our price range! Then I saw Rashaan, loved him and knew I had to have him.

It is now well documented that he only made €8,500 that afternoon but I knew even then we had a real bargain.

However, I fully expected the horse to be competing in summer jumps races, never for one moment lining up as one of the favourites for a Grade 2 Juvenile Hurdle at Leopardstown at Christmas. From day one, he always showed us plenty at home and as he had run on the flat three weeks before the sales, I could afford to concentrate on his schooling, as he was already race fit.

Sean Flanagan did all the work at home and rode the horse in a schooling hurdle but unfortunately he was claimed to ride another horse at Roscommon and missed out to Mikey Fogarty.

The first juvenile hurdle of the season is always a step into the unknown but Rashaan impressed in victory and went on to carry a penalty to success at Listowel.

WINNING PLAN

As soon as he passed the winning post at the Kerry track, I had it in my mind to go for the Grade 3 Juvenile Hurdle at Fairyhouse.

That was always the plan and thankfully it worked to perfection. Everything went really well in the run up to the race, we had no hiccups or setbacks and I knew in my mind that he had improved from his first two outings.

At Fairyhouse, he made it three from three since joining our yard and in the aftermath our sights were firmly fixed on this afternoon’s race at Leopardstown.

I have always said that we are taking it one race at a time with Rashaan and nothing has changed.

We have continued to raise the bar at each point along the way and so far the horse has answered the call every time.

I am as confident as I can be that he will once more rise to the occasion and hopefully leave us dreaming of even bigger days to come.

Colin Kidd was in conversation with John O’Riordan