How did you get into ownership?

My late father Bart previously had horses over the years with trainers in the UK. His mother passed away at a very young age and his father came to live in the UK many years ago from Killorglin, Co Kerry.

Due to spiralling costs and not much success, the expense of owning horses was not feasible.

In 2018, he met Ado McGuinness and he asked him to find a horse to win at Laytown and that’s how he came back to it and how I got involved. We worked together in the family construction business.

What was your best day at the races?

Our best day as a team was when Saltonstall won the Galway Mile last year; Saltonstall is owned in partnership with Dooley Thoroughbreds.

The most memorable days with my father was at Laytown. Unfortunately we weren’t able to get the win at Laytown last year finishing second with War Hero, but our time will come. It’s something we always wanted to do and we have close family connections to the track – it’s a different experience.

What is the biggest drawback about being a racehorse owner?

Costs. You either want to be an owner because you like the gambling side and want a payback on your investment or because you are primarily interested in horses.

On the whole the positive side of ownership outweighs the drawbacks.

We started with one horse through Shamrock Thoroughbreds (Master Speaker) set up by Stephen Thorne, assistant trainer to Ado McGuinness, and that got our interest going. We also have some with the Dooley brothers who are local to me in the UK.

Which racecourse in Ireland treats owners the best and why?

Naas is the best one we have seen. It has that wonderful new stand and great owners’ facilities. We were there for the Lincoln last year – it was fantastic.

Dermot Cantillon (Naas chairman) sat next to Dad at school in Waterford and he looked after us really well.

And for terrific atmosphere, Galway is another favourite.

The Curragh disappointed on its opening day but hopefully they have got over their teething problems when we’re allowed back in.

Do you prefer tlat or jump racing?

Flat racing for me. I have a general interest in the National Hunt as well – the bigger days. I would go to Aintree for the Grand National meeting, not the National day, it’s too full. I got interested in racing and betting through going there with my father and also listening to the radio with my grandfather when I was very young. You have to get interested in racing when you’re young.

What qualities do you look for in a trainer?

One you have good communication with and that you can trust. Ado and Stephen are very honest with how the horses are doing, very transparent. Some trainers keep the horses running when they are going nowhere. Ado and Stephen tell me when the horses need to move on.

Our company started sponsoring the yard in 2018 and will continue to do so over the coming years.

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

Well you want to have comfortable facilities. Irish courses are so far ahead of UK ones.

I live about three miles from Haydock but I wouldn’t be pushed to go racing there. I’d rather go to Dundalk on a Friday night – it’s the people that make it better in Ireland.

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

Obviously it will have a significant effect on the industry. But a lot of owners stuck with their trainers, the majority kept their horses in training, they could have pulled the plug. By keeping them in training they were able to get off to a quick restart.

Nothing beats being able to see your horses run, hopefully we can get back to racing in person soon.

What significance do your colours hold?

War Hero runs in our colours. My wife Suzanne designed them for the family.

When buying a horse, what do you look for?

I take lots of advice from Ado and Stephen. We bought War Hero out of a claimer in Dundalk. I like to buy a horse in training that has a handicap mark we can work with.

Maybe this year we’ll go to the sales in the autumn to buy one in training that has form. It’s less of a risk than buying a two-year-old.

What horses do you currently have in training?

War Hero I own solely. Current Option, who is probably our best horse, is owned jointly with Dooley Thoroughbreds and Shamrock Thoroughbreds. Saltonstall is owned by myself and the Dooleys.

Saltonstall and Current Option were both in the Irish Lincoln last Friday week, Saltonstall finishing fourth and Current Option further down the field. War Hero got a run a Gowran Park when racing restarted. I’m hopeful that you will see all three in the winners’ enclosure this season.

Regarding the Lincoln, I want to congratulate the guys at Total Recall Racing Club on Bowerman’s victory. They have been great supporters of the yard over many years. A thoroughly deserved win.

What’s next on the agenda?

I wouldn’t be surprised if the plan was to go to Galway with them.

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

The majority of horses in training are within the 0-75 handicap rating, not group level. Keep giving opportunities for these lower rated horses to get a run. Owners will have the satisfaction of seeing them run in a competitive field after all the investment they have put in.

At the same time, you have to be careful not to dilute the prize money. It’s one of the biggest selling points of Irish racing.

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

I would say the best way is to find a good syndicate, it’s affordable and not elitist. But not a syndicate with 100-plus shares; better one that sells 5-10% shares. That covers all the costs for 12 months – you know your outlay.

In a small syndicate there is usually good communication and it’s much easier to go along to the yard or see your horse racing. And start with a low-value horse.

Winning is great; we’ve had multiple horses winning over the last 18 months.But the 10 years prior to that we had one winner in 40 horses!

It’s always a great experience if your horse is running, whether they win or not.

James O’Sullivan was in conversation with Olivia Hamilton