How did you get into racehorse ownership?

I bought my first share in a horse called Quiet Company with the Ontoawinner Syndicate and Adrian Keatley back in 2016. He was decidedly average but he was my first ever winner as an owner and I’ll never forget him.

My first share in a horse as an independent owner was in a good looking Pivotal filly called Gold Eliza with Damian English.

She didn’t work out, but myself and the others involved kept the faith with Damian and we haven’t looked back since.

What was your best day at the races?

Watching Mokhalad win at Navan in the Galaxy Racing silks gave me a massive thrill because of the quality of horses he had in behind him.

Dance Alone’s win with Rory Cleary on board at Leopardstown on just his third start for the On Each Way Syndicate was probably my best day at the races as an owner so far.

I love all the horses I have shares in, but Dance is a real character and to see him win at such a famous track gave everyone in the syndicate an unbelievable buzz.

The celebrations continued well into the early hours and hopefully he can get his grey head in front again before too long.

What is the biggest drawback about being a racehorse owner?

I have loved being an owner so far and, to be honest, I can’t think of many negatives. The cost is probably the biggest drawback, but it is very possible to get involved with a syndicate horse for relatively modest money.

In your experience which racecourse in Ireland treats owners best and why?

For me, Leopardstown and Naas are probably the two best racecourses for owners. The facilities are head and shoulders above a lot of the other courses. I also have a soft spot for Dundalk on a Friday night as I have had three winners there as an owner.

Flat or jump racing, which do you enjoy?

I have only had shares in flat horses so far, so as an owner I would have to say that is the discipline I enjoy the most. I think if you own a flat horse you will have more days out, as jumpers need more time between races for recovery and are more prone to picking up little niggles and injuries.

For example, Dance Alone has run 15 times and counting since I got involved in him back in May and he isn’t finished for the year yet.

We don’t call him the Iron Horse for nothing!

What qualities do you look for in a trainer?

In my opinion the most important quality by far is honesty. You should get regular and truthful updates on your horse and a trainer should be prepared to tell his owners the bad news as readily as the good.

Accessibility to the yard is also something I look for as I think a big part of ownership is being able to go and see your horses in the yard and learn about their personalities.

With Damian English there is no problem in organising a trip to the beach to see your horse work and have a roll in the sand in the morning, then pop back to the stable afterwards to give the horses a few treats.

What horses do you currently have in training?

The two-year old Compton’s Finale with Adrian Keatley and the Ontoawinner Syndicate.

The five-year-old Mokhalad who is majority owned by the Galaxy Racing Syndicate and Dance Alone (who is five) with the On Each Way Syndicate, both trained by Damian English.

I have a small share in a three-year-old called Twenty Minutes who will be coming back into training soon and will hopefully be ready to run in the coming months if all goes well.

What is next on the agenda for your horses?

Compton’s Finale didn’t run as well as we had hoped last time and that will probably be it with him for this year. He is definitely one to look forward to next season.

Dance Alone is entered in a seven- furlong handicap at Dundalk on Friday night and, if he gets in, he should run a nice race.

Mokhalad will probably make an appearance up at Dundalk in the next few weeks too, so there is plenty to look forward to during the winter months.

Have you any horses to look forward to?

Yes, Damian picked up Twenty Minutes for small money at the sales back in July and he is coming along nicely. He is a strong-looking Rip Van Winkle three-year-old and he showed a couple of pieces of decent form for Ken Condon as a two-year-old.

Hopefully he can be the next Geological or Tribal Path once Damian works his magic!

What would help to make Irish racing more competitive for the smaller owner/trainer?

Without a doubt, the summer flat race programme could be improved. If you have a horse rated less than 50 it can be a real struggle to get into a low grade handicap.

Sometimes you have races with 80 plus entries and even getting a run can be a near impossible task with a lowly rated horse. It makes race planning harder for trainers of lower grade horses also.

I think more flat meetings during the season would be a big help to smaller flat owners and trainers.

What advice would you give someone thinking of becoming a racehorse owner?

If you are considering becoming a racehorse owner my advice would be to go for it.

Thanks to syndication it is achievable for relatively small money.

There are a lot more lows than highs when you own a racehorse, but it is hard to match the feeling of watching one you are involved in coming home in front.

David Stephens was in conversation with Olivia Hamilton.