How did you get into racehorse ownership?

Our family is now primarily involved in show jumping and have been for many years. We always had a few thoroughbred horses. I had no background in horses but I recall my first interest in horses was when I was about 23 years of age. I had just started out as solicitor working in Kilkenny and Thurles and met Michael Quinlan of Athnid, Thurles, a renowned horseman in the area and a great character. He became one of my first clients.

I had heard that Michael was a very good judge of a horse and I decided I wanted to pinhook. I suggested that instead of charging him for some work I had done for him, he might help me purchase a foal in the upcoming November sales. I had about £5,000 to spend. He found a cracking Strong Gale colt but it cost £9,000. I persuaded my poor mother to put in the balance. Michael and his wife Frances agreed to keep the foal for us for the year and to sell it as a yearling. We brought it to the sales the following November and sold it for £25,000! What a fee it turned out to be, but of course it all went back into buying more foals. From then on I was smitten and a whole new friendship developed between the Quinlans, Everards and ourselves.

We got more interested in racehorses and got to know more and more people involved in the industry. Later on when I got married and had kids, they became interested in ponies and went show jumping with my wife Sharon.

Our oldest boy, Jonathan, became obsessed with racehorses and gave up the show jumping. All he wanted to do was cross-country events dressed in his silks boots cap and whip. A fearsome sight! He grew up riding with David Mullins and we became very close friends with his parents Tom and Helen Mullins.

The natural progression was then to buy a racehorse and I recall the first horse we had with Tom was Mustangsallyrally. I think it won a few races and we got great enjoyment out of it.

What was your best day at the races and why?

For me the best day was when Jonathan was about 13 and he pestered me to bring him to Cheltenham for the festival. I was a complete novice but we went with the Mullins family including Mrs Mullins senior who provided encyclopaedic memories of her years spent there.

Jonathan made sure that no matter how late out I was the night before, we went down every morning to the course at 6.45am to hear see the horses work. I marvelled at how he could identify every horse without its colours or jockey. He knew how it looked, walked and held itself.

We then prepared for the races with Jonathan’s usual forensic analysis of form. It was the first time that I could appreciate all that goes into getting a horse to the track, ensuring it runs to its potential and the unbridled joy of the owners when their horse ran well.

The late Jonathan Fitzpatrick

What is the biggest drawback about being a racehorse owner?

The frustration in trying to get a horse to run. We live in an era of instant gratification and everyone who is an owner wants to have a horse run every week. It takes time to get a horse ready and they also need rest. Our horses all run on the flat as we breed from a few flat mares at home.

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

It would be easy to say that Leopardstown has great facilities and treats the owners very well but it has the crowds, the infrastructure and the income.

I am impressed with how many smaller racetracks try to look after owners when they have limited resources. While Gowran Park is excellent and does a great job, I was very impressed recently with Navan. There were plenty of people at the meeting but only a handful had a formal lunch. The food was excellent and notwithstanding the limited numbers partaking, the staff were great, upbeat and hospitable.

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

Even though we have only flat horses, I love the excitement and unpredictability of jumps racing. Leopardstown this Christmas is a typical example of how certainties can become unstuck.

The reason why we are in flat racing is because of the turnaround time and opportunities. A person can buy a yearling and have it running the following year and off-load if necessary. It is now becoming more difficult to buy a good National Hunt horse. It then takes quite some time before you know what you have with a limited market to sell to.

What qualities do you look for in a trainer?

The first thing I look for is a trainer who can see potential in a horse and is a good judge. I like a trainer who is honest and will not tell me what he thinks I want to hear. I also like the trainers who have a good strike rate and we have been fortunate with Tom Mullins and Madeleine Tylicki. They are so professional and excellent at their job with the results also doing the talking for them!

Many owners are anxious for information about the progress of their horse and this is not always easy for a busy trainer. I see trainers are now embracing technology more. WhatsApp groups being set up sending on videos and up to date information. This is very welcome and keeps everybody interested.

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

From a flat perspective I would love to see another all-weather being developed. Dundalk is now extremely busy and it has shown that there is a market for winter racing.

There had been talk of rationalising the racetracks in Thurles, Clonmel and Tipperary. It would be fantastic if they could develop a facility including an all-weather track just off the motorway near the appropriately named Horse and Jockey!

When buying a horse, what do you look for?

I like the walk firstly and then I tend to look at the page to check the breeding.

Buying a flat horse is interesting from a breeder’s perspective. When we sell foals and yearlings it is like a beauty parade. Any blemish or minor deformity is potentially fatal. There are many flat yearlings available that are big, strong and racy with just as much potential as their Adonis brethren. There is great potential for syndicates to buy these flat yearlings at reasonable prices.

What horses do you currently have in training?

Coeur D’Amour is our standout horse at the moment. Our son Jonathan bred him from our mare Adoring and she is by Zoffany. We tried to sell her as a foal but she was knocked because of her knee. We brought her back as a yearling but Jonathan felt she wasn’t making enough and implored me to keep her for racing. To be honest I always think we have failed if we send one of ours to race because if it was any good it should have sold in the first place. I was reluctant to race her at first but Jonathan had convinced me that everyone else’s view was perhaps misplaced. We then decided to send her to Madeleine. We had been very close to Madeleine’s partner’s family, the Kinirons, for years and after Madeleine’s brother Freddie had such a catastrophic fall, Jonathan thought it might be a demonstration of our support for the family to send her to them.

Coeur D’Amour is a big filly and it took a little time to get her going. Madeleine and Andrew did a magnificent job in getting her ready. Sadly, however, Jonathan was tragically killed in a road traffic accident on August 12th 2017 and never got to see her run. He was right, of course – the filly has only run three times but has won a race in Galway and came second in a competitive listed race at Navan. She now has blacktype and while we have had a number of offers to buy her, it is difficult to sell her as we see Jonathan in her every time she runs. She is cathartic for the whole family and we are really looking forward to her coming out to race later this year.

We also have Repare Mon with Tom Mullins and Ease The Jets with Madeline Tylicki..

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

We are constantly breeding away but we tend to sell. We hope to sell a few foals and yearlings later this year but if they fail the beauty contest we may have another chapter in racing. I am involved with another local syndicate with two flat fillies ready to race this year, Mastercraftsman and Acclaimation fillies as yet unnamed.They are with Jessica Harrington and I am told she thinks a lot of them. Adrian Nicholl promises me my money back if he fails to deliver!

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

I am aware that HRI has introduced initiatives to encourage owners and trainers by linking handicaps to the values of the horses. This is very encouraging and all of this helps to keep owners and trainers involved in a horse that may not have reached its potential. In essence, there is a race for every horse and that it why enjoyment can be achieved at every level.

I would be worried about the future for the smaller trainers though in the National Hunt scene. It has become expensive and it takes so long to really know where you are at. Added to this is the limited market to sell horses to. The smaller trainers need to attract new blood into racing but they need the help of HRI to do this as they don’t have the resources of their own to do the marketing.

I think there could not be a better time for younger people to pool their resources and set up a syndicate particularly on the flat. I think it has been extremely difficult for small trainers to make ends meet and make money. Now, however, training fees are extremely competitive and there are opportunities to buy good young flat horses at reasonable money provided owners take proper and professional advice. There is the opportunity then for the small owners/trainers to increase numbers and income..

I believe that HRI needs to refocus on where the new owners are to be found. Ireland has seen a massive change over the last 10 years. Traditional rural owners have dwindled. Rural Ireland is generally still struggling with little enough disposable money available for racehorses. It is clear most Irish wealth is focused in Dublin and, to my mind, HRI needs to tap into that market. What better for those financial, pharma and tech whiz-kids to do than to head out of Dublin to see their horse run with their families for a great day out. I think we need to explain to these potential clients that it is an enjoyable experience and not a massive expense to put the foot in the water with a small trainer who will look after them and invite them down occasionally to see how their horse is getting on.

Joe Fitzpatrick was in conversation with Olivia Hamilton