How did you get into ownership?

Around 2004 my brother Pat Grant, Den Sutton and the trainer David O’Brien were great friends and equally great horsemen. They decided to form a syndicate on a low budget for some fun. They asked around between trusted friends and family and got the syndicate started. We knew that with their combined skillset and experience that we had some hope of getting a winner but at the very least we would have a great craic.

David O’Brien took us on a search for a horse that fitted the criteria.

Willie Corcoran had a nice Carroll House horse for sale. David liked him and we thought a horse sired by a Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe winner was all we could have asked for; €1,200 settled the deal and we named him Fastey.

What was your best day at the races?

Every day we go racing is the best day. We just love it. Days that stand out are when Fastey won his point with Shane (McCarthy) having his first ride ever, it was madly exciting. Fastey won the hunter chase in Tramore during the centenary year celebration (2012), our first win on the track. We thought we had died and gone to Heaven.

Even when we lose it is great to be part of it all. Double Windsor started very well for us but his form tailed off badly and some of us thought that we might sell him on after another poor run in Tramore. David assured us that the ability was still there and Double Windsor won his next two races – fabulous.

What is the biggest drawback about being an owner?

For our syndicate we find that sometimes it is hard to get races suitable for the horses. All our horses start out as low budget horses and run in maiden hurdles and low-class handicaps. These races are usually over-subscribed with many horses being balloted out.

Most of these races are run midweek so going racing is an issue as the syndicate members are principally made up from construction workers.The evening meetings in the summer are a great help.

Which racecourse in Ireland treats owners the best and why?

We enjoy going to Tramore and Wexford as most of our horses run and win races there. These tracks show appreciation for our support and give us the personal touch.

Tramore is our favourite as year on year they implement positive changes and all of us in the syndicate have been going there for a lifetime of racing.

Flat or jumps which do you prefer?

Jumps. We are point-to-point supporters and if the horses become good enough we will take them on to the main track.

Being outside, on the side of a hill on a Sunday afternoon in all weather is what it is all about. We always hope that our horse will be good enough to run well and attract a buyer. This hasn’t happened yet as we only ever give David O’Brien €1,000 to find us a horse and these type of horses usually need more time to fulfil their potential. We will keep trying for a future star.

What do you look for in a trainer?

Integrity, combined with a proven ability to find horses to fit our budget and for them to be cared for and trained with every opportunity to fulfil their potential.

Integrity is a single word but when it comes to what this syndicate wants from a trainer it says it all.

Fun is also crucial to racehorse ownership and we have had buckets of it.

The ability of a trainer to share as much information as possible on everything associated with the horses, the upcoming races, and so on is a huge part of the enjoyment.

What improvements would you like to see racecourses in Ireland do?

As a syndicate formed mostly from construction workers we would love to be able to attract more of our family and friends to the races when the horses are running. The feedback from them is that it can be an expensive day out with them having to take time off work, etc. Some extra free entry passes to alleviate the expenditure would be helpful.

How do you think the current crisis will impact on racing in general?

No point-to-points currently has the potential to destroy many participants financially. The whole industry is only as strong as its weakest link.

Before the pandemic, the cost of buying a nice three-year-old store for jumps racing had skyrocketed so the silver lining might be that the market will now attract new and existing owners.

What can trainers or HRI do to encourage owners to keep horses in training at the moment?

HRI must do all in its power to get owners and spectators back to the racecourses as soon as it is deemed safe to do so. Even though it may be unjust to HRI, it can sometimes feel that the owners are not really being prioritised enough. Communication could be better.

Trainers need to communicate more than ever with owners with regular updates which help to focus interest.

What significance do your colours hold?

Our colours unite the syndicate and are very similar to the trainer David O’Brien’s family colours. We felt honoured that David allowed us to use similar colours to his and we felt that we were being immersed in the tradition of Irish racing. We love when Sean Flanagan wears them as when a top jockey puts them on we know that we have done our best for the horse.

How did your syndicate get its name?

My youngest son was just old enough to understand that I was joining a syndicate with a new horse and suggested the name Fastey.

When I had brought him to point-to-points I had cheered for enough horses that were too slow to win that he said that Fastey would be a good name!

Geraldine, wife of my brother Pat, suggested that since the syndicate is a fun syndicate that we should call it the Fastey for Fun Syndicate, so that was it.

Buying horses, what do you look for?

Value and prospects. The syndicate has prospered with horses bought for around €1,000 each.

David O’Brien trains for a diverse group of owners with their own specific goals. If an owner decides that a horse no longer fulfils his/her criteria then sometimes David will advise the owners that the horse has the potential ability but will need time to show it on track.

We sometimes step in and buy the horse. David has a proven record of putting us right.

What horses do you have in training?

Double Windsor, Cusp Of Carabelli and Minx Tiara, all multiple winners and bought very wisely. They have won a small fortune between them.

Our latest recruit is a mare called Grinn. We believe that she is the only progeny of her sire, Glor Na Mara, to make it to the racecourse. David is hopeful that she will improve enough to keep in training so we will wait and see.

What’s next on the agenda?

We have full confidence that the horses will be ready to win every time they go to the races. Minx Tiara is improving so maybe some blacktype is achievable.

Cusp Of Carabelli will get one more race before he gets a break, he has improved from being rated 99 to his current rating of 132. Double Windsor and Grinn will have a summer campaign.

Have you horses to look forward to?

There is an unraced four-year-old gelding nicknamed Bob, by Watar, and he might go pointing when he is six; it looks like that he needs time to mature.

My nephew Colm has Bob’s dam and he is considering having her covered by one of the sires in Knockhouse Stud. He wisely gave her a break for a couple of years while he improved his property so hopefully this time next year we will have a foal.

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

More races for the horses that have not made it to the top. Maybe confine some races for horses from trainers that have had less than 10 winners in the last year.

Big trainers have now become CEOs of multi-million euro businesses and have to delegate to many other people and are not as hands on as the were when they began. The size of their operation can have a negative effect on the trainers with fewer horses.

What advice would you give to someone thinking of becoming an owner?

Family comes first. After that jump in, it’s a blast if you can surround yourself with the right people. Nearly all leisure activities cost money and if horse racing is for you there is no better way to spend it.

Syndicates are a good idea for comradery and affordability.

My strongest advice is to select a trainer that is already busy and happy with his training operation. I might get into difficulty with David O’Brien for saying this as he is selective with whom he will train for but if you are serious and can afford it I would highly recommend him.

Martin Grant was in conversation with Olivia Hamilton.