How did you get into racehorse ownership?

It was in 1999 and some workmates came together to focus on racehorse ownership. We investigated on how to do it and obtained the information from HRI.

Originally the club was made up of prison officers in Mountjoy and now the club comprises half prisoner officers and half family and friends.

I’ve always loved racing and used to go along with my father in the 1970s. I have great memories of seeing Brown Lad and Davy Lad at Fairyhouse.

What was your best day at the races and why?

We’ve had some marvelous days, winning graded hurdles and chases and have won at the Galway Festival four times.

The win of Beau Amadeus in the Birdcatcher at Naas in 2011 is our biggest win with regard to prize money.

We used to have horses with Michael Halford and had a couple of winners but then we changed to Ado McGuinness in 2007 and we had Beau Michael who won 14 races for us including graded chases and hurdles.

We used our prize money to reinvest in other horses and then kept Beau as part of their names with a view to hopefully emulating Beau Michael.

We also had a filly Beau Recall who won second time out at Tipperary in 2016. An American agent approached us and we sold her to the United States and she went on to be second in the Grade 1 Del Mar Oaks and won a Grade 2 as well.

We got good money for her but we didn’t know she would go on to be so good. No regrets, you’ve got to go forward.

What is the biggest drawback about being a racehorse owner?

The difficulty of getting low grade horses into races – being balloted out is still a problem.

It makes it very difficult to plan ahead if you want to see your horse race. Even trying to make arrangements at work to go racing can be so uncertain because of this problem.

Which racecourse in Ireland treats owners the best and why?

The whole experience has improved there is no doubt. We have 14 in the club and while not all 14 would attend we all have AIR cards.

Recently we were given a meal at the Curragh and Leopardstown when running horses. You wouldn’t have got that 15 years ago.

We never have an issue with extra passes either.

The owners’ lounge in Galway has excellent facilities and cater for a big club like ours perfectly well.

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

As a spectacle jumps would be my favourite. But in recent years our racing experience as owners has revolved around the flat. There is more of a chance of winning on the flat and of selling and more of a chance of your horse going up the ratings.

Flat ownership gives the small owner a better slice of the action.

In the National Hunt code it’s a closed shop for the small owner even in the smaller handicaps with multiple entries by the big yards.

What qualities do you look for in a trainer?

We changed to Ado as for some club members he was their local trainer. He was an up and coming trainer at the time. He won the Irish Lincoln with Victram in 2005. His success drew us to him and as a club we have had 30 wins thanks to him to date.

On a day to day basis he keeps up involved. You can go up to the yard and see all the horses being worked.

We rely on him and he has more than proved himself. Any horse we’ve bought have been ones he’s picked.

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

Some courses don’t have proper parking facilities for owners.

And in some instances tracks look after their members above the needs of visiting owners. I can understand the necessity of looking after members who support the track but the situation could improve for owners.

What significance do your colours hold?

They are bright and stand out in a race.

How did your syndicate get its name?

It’s nothing to do with the Arnie Schwarzenegger movie. In Mountjoy there is a scheme at work whereby on your rest day you can be recalled for work and so it’s a total recall.

Working on your rest day all goes towards paying the fees for the horses so that’s the upside!

When buying a horse, what do you look for?

Depending on our finances we keep Ado abreast of how we are situated and he is on the lookout for a new one. He focusses on yearlings and we buy solely on his advice. We try to stick to our budget and it’s always a good day out at the sales.

What horses do you currently have in training?

Beau Satchel was third in Wolverhampton at the beginning of the month and is entered at Dundalk on Friday (yesterday).

We still think there is a win in him. He’s had three wins at the Galway Festival. He’s racing well below his winning mark.

Beau Warrior is a three-year-old and had three wins in a row at Dundalk last November and December. She has listed potential and will hopefully keep improving.

Beau Rocko has been placed a couple of times last year in low grade handicaps. He should be out again in the spring.

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

It’s very hard to get it right. I don’t believe that owners should be restricted from running their horses if they are paying their fees. But sometimes you can get 10 horses in an 18-runner field in the same ownership. It’s a sport where money does the talking.

Perhaps there should be races in a championship series for horses who have been bought at sales below certain prices. If we could have a series for the lower grade horses with a finale and a trophy and decent prize money.

It would give all the smaller owners and trainers a chance to shine and have the satisfaction of winning something a bit special.

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

Go for it! Take plenty of advice, you can’t get enough advice. Stay within your means. Luck has to be on your side. We’ve has plenty of wins over the last 10 years. You can’t have regrets, you’ve got to keep moving forward.

Dave Corr was in conversation with Olivia Hamilton