AMONG those delighted to see Gigginstown House Stud’s Battleoverdoyen maintain his unbeaten record in the Grade 1 Lawlor’s of Naas Novice Hurdle on Sunday was Michael Lynch, previous owner of the Doyen bay.

The Magheralin resident made a brilliant start when adding pinhooking to his occupations as lorry driver and Charolais cattle dealer as Battleoverdoyen was the first horse he ever purchased. “I looked at him a few times before I bought him privately from his breeder Caroline Berry as a foal. While I wouldn’t have known a lot about horses then, I loved his conformation and the fact that he was a big, strong individual.

“He wasn’t everyone’s cup of tea at that stage but, when I got people to look at him again at two, they changed their minds.

“I decided it would be better to get a bit of work into him then, rather than leave everything until he was three, so I brought him down to Tony Martin who passed him on to Arthur Henley for breaking. Arthur had the horse for about eight weeks and did a great job with him, as did Shane Nolan who had him for a similar period of time.

“When he was three, the horse went back to Tony but the ground was very firm so we took him home. He could well have gone to Tony again but a friend of mine, Michael McKeown, suggested that I send him to one of our local trainers, Jerry Cosgrave, another who has to be credited for the fine job he did with the horse.

“The plan the following spring was for Battleoverdoyen to make his debut at Loughanmore’s Easter meeting but Jerry wasn’t really happy with the ground on the day (Saturday, April 15th, 2017). However, Mark (O’Hare) said it would be fine and the horse duly won the first division of the four-year-old geldings’ maiden by a handy three lengths.

“I got a lot of enquiries about the horse after that race but we decided to send him over to Cheltenham for the Tattersalls sale the following Thursday.

“My reserve wasn’t nearly as high as the price he made but I wasn’t surprised that Gordon (Elliott) had to go to £235,000 to buy him. For all that, I got more of a buzz out of the horse winning at Loughanmore than I did at the sale and it has been wonderful to see how he has gone on since then.

“Just after I bought Battleoverdoyen, I also purchased a Morozov gelding bred locally by Raymond McKay out of a Jurado half-sister to Dines and GVA Ireland. Through Bishopstown Stud, I sold him as a three-year-old at the 2016 Derby Sale and he won point-to-point first time out at Kinsale almost a year later. He is now in England.

“At the 2014 December National Hunt Sale at Goffs I purchased a Gold Well foal who, three years later, I sold at the Land Rover Sale there to Tom Symonds who has yet to race him although he is named (Everything Now). Also sold at that Land Rover Sale was a 2014 Getaway gelding who I had purchased as a foal at Tatts. He has been named Raheen Pier.

“At home, I have one three-year-old, two two-year-olds and one foal. One of the two-year-olds was bred by Caroline Berry out of a daughter of Solerina. I’d have a good eye for cattle so hopefully I’ve a good eye for horses as well.

“However, I believe that you really have to feed them well, take them slowly and to do things the right way – it pays off in the end.”