How did you get into racehorse

ownership?

We all have a great interest in racing and would be active enough racecourse visitors including annual trips to Cheltenham. Every race horse enthusiast’s dream is to own a successful racehorse.

We’re from south Roscommon near Ballinasloe and east Galway.

We have stuck gold at the first time of asking with our syndicate comprising father and son Tommy and Alan Sweeney along with their brother-in-law\uncle Kerrill Creaven and myself. We all get on great and share the same ambition - the horse doing well!

What was your best day at the races and why?

The only negative of this wonderful run of form is that we were unable to attend the races the calendar year of 2020. Flooring Porter has ran six times and we have only been able to attend his first run of the year in February when he placed second in Navan.

One of the best days at the races had to be October 2019 when he won the three-mile handicap hurdle in Cork. He went off favourite and obliged.

It was a very special day, we all attended including my own father and son. It brings back great memories.

What is the biggest drawback about being a racehorse owner?

Costs are restrictive, all horses aren’t successful but they all still need feeding!

However, for me and the lads the buzz of your horse winning and the camaraderie it brings cannot be contested.

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

We had a previous success with a flat horse in Naas and we were treated very well there, as we were in Bellewstown and Cork. Emadee was our flat horse by Zebedee, under a different syndicate name, but after that win, things didn’t go right for her, as happens.

Unfortunately, we didn’t get to experience the hospitality of Gowran Park, Navan or Leopardstown last year but I’d imagine they treat owners very well, which adds to the excitement of the big day itself.

Flat or jump racing, which do you prefer and why?

Personally, it has to be jump racing, the thrill of the chase!

What do you look for in a trainer?

We actually bought Flooring Porter from Gavin Cromwell and from day one we have found Gavin to be very able and straight! He has a great set-up and a great team behind him including Feidhlim, Ger and John to mention a few.

Any time we have visited we have felt welcome and Danestown appears to be a lovely place to work. They deserve as much success as they can get.

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

To be fair, HRI run a good show. As a syndicate we have availed of extra tickets for friends and family to attend race days with us without any drama.

Race days are all about having a bit of craic and making memories; we are probably very enthusiastic owners and I believe racecourses enjoy that too!

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

This pandemic has obviously taken its toll on all aspects of life, including horse racing of course. Hopefully racing will return as soon as possible as it’s probably difficult to encourage first time owners into the market at the moment. The experience is limited when you don’t have the opportunity to attend the meetings.

What significance do your colours hold?

Our colours of black and white are trying to replicate a pint of porter!

How did your syndicate get its name?

The name Flooring Porter came about because I’m in the flooring and carpet business and Alan and Kerrill were publicans. Tommy is also a retired publican and psychiatric nurse.

We will have to factor in that profession with the naming of the next lad!

When buying a horse, what do you look for?

Value! Obviously breeding as well. We bought Flooring Porter as an unbroken three-year old. Yeats is a great stallion, but was possibly a bit out of fashion at the time.

Flooring Porter is out of a two-time hurdle winning mare Lillymile from the family of Revoque and bred by Sean Murphy of Ryehill Stud, Monivea, Co Galway. It’s fantastic for the Murphy family to have a Grade 1 winner.

What horses do you currently have in training?

Just Flooring Porter at the moment.

What’s next on the agenda for your horses?

Our next target is the Stayers’ Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival in March. The two best staying hurdlers currently, Paisley Park and Thyme Hill, are trained in England but as a Grade 1 winner we’ll take our chance - that is if we get there with the way things are.

We supplemented Flooring Porter for the Grade 1 at Leopardstown. Gavin didn’t put any pressure on. We had thought of waiting for the Cleeve Hurdle at the end of January but the way things were going we thought we’d better get on with it. And he had won so well in his previous race at Navan by 12 lengths. It was the horse’s own money that he’d won that earned his way to Leopardstown. You can’t buy an engine for him.

Have you any horses to look forward to? (i.e young/unbroken horses?

No young horses at the moment but if a bit of value came along you wouldn’t know!

What would help to make Irish

racing more competitive for the smaller owner/trainer?

I don’t think smaller owners\trainers should be treated any differently but I do believe the smaller trainers should get the same recognition as the bigger trainers do.

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

Cut your cloth to suit your measure. Get involved with like-minded people, don’t take it too seriously and enjoy any success that comes your way.

When I go into the shopping centre now, where one of my businesses is, the amount of people who come up to talk to me about Flooring Porter, people who would have no interest in racing – it’s amazing.

The good days need to be treasured!

Ned Hogarty was in conversation with Olivia Hamilton