TO many, our horses name aptly summed up general expectations when Beyond Ambitious lined up at 200/1 for a Grade 3 bumper at Punchestown last month. However, the home-bred mare more than justified our decision to run, as she picked up valuable blacktype on just her third racecourse appearance.
After going one better, by gaining a first ever win in a Wexford bumper last weekend, she is now set to embark on a hurdling career.
Huntsmen
My elder brother, and our father before him, were both Huntsmen with the South County Dublin Harriers. I learned how to ride on hunters at home, before spending my teenage years with the Harriers. In those days, we would have hunted in Tallaght and Templeogue; hard to believe now that those two areas have become so built up!
In primary school in Newcastle, I was friendly with Leo and Michael O’Brien, two men who went on to make their names in American racing circles.
After finishing my secondary education in Naas CBS, I then went on to Warrenstown Agricultural College to study to become a farm manager. Following that, I spent a few years in various different posts, before ending up in Gormanston College where I was employed for 30 years.
Business model
In the 1970s, I bought some land of my own and started to pick up a few foals at the sales. It was always the intention to just sell them on but circumstances saw me taking out a permit to train. Having no previous experience working with thoroughbreds, I was effectively self-taught.
Athgoe Hill, named after my birthplace, was my first winner when successful in a maiden hurdle at Clonmel. He was subsequently sold to England, which was the basis of our business model at that time. I would get a run or two into a horse then hope to find a buyer and move it on.
I had a young family at that time, so it was important to keep turning over stock and make it pay. Green Willow, one of the better horses I had through my hands, later went on to win a Challow Hurdle for Josh Gifford. Gold Bearer, who started his career here with us, went on to run Desert Orchid to a head one day at Sandown.
Gormanstown
Throughout the ‘70s, ‘80s and early ‘90s, I worked full-time as farm manager at Gormanstown College, while always keeping two or three horses as a hobby. By the early ‘90s, all four of my sons (Maurice, John, Willie and Daithi) had amateur licences and rode under rules. They had their regular day jobs and were getting on with their careers but each of them got a few spins on the track.
In 1998, Gormanstown College sold the farm and I came home to work full-time with the horses. Ruby Lodge had got us going by winning five races in the late ‘80s and she was followed by the likes of Mid-Day Gamble, Folly Road, Colliers Hill, Schwartzhalle and Titian Blonde. The last-named mare, bought from the Keating sisters in Co Wexford, was named after my daughter, Clodagh. She was very young at the time but always told people she was a “titian blonde” not a redhead!
The mare was originally bought for a friend who wanted to get involved in bloodstock but he went cold on the idea, so I ended up keeping her myself.
She went on to win six races, pick up blacktype and was named Weatherbys Champion Broodmare at Tullow Show (1997). As is often the case, it took the next generation for the pedigree to improve - Titian Blonde produced nothing of note on the track.
Pedigree
Having sold the mare in foal, I kept one of her progeny, subsequently named Blonde Ambition. While she was no more than a mid-80 rated horse on the racecourse, she did at least win two point-to-points.
However, it was not until that mare went to the breeding sheds that we finally saw the pedigree begin to blossom. Degooch won eight races and was the first to really make a name for her.
Subsequent foal, Brain Power, did even better, winning the Grade 2 International Hurdle at Cheltenham, placing in a Grade 1 novice hurdle at Punchestown and later winning the Grade 1 Grand National Hurdle at Far Hills in America. He was a fine stamp of a horse and I was delighted that he went to Nicky Henderson who did such a great job with him.
Kalinski was sold to Philip and Louisa Carberry in France, and we kept the mare Beyond Ambitious. Ironically, just over half an hour before the latter won at Wexford on Saturday, Kalinski finished third at Auteuil. I received a text message from Philip Carberry later that evening, apologising that they couldn’t make it a double! Sadly, Blonde Ambition died a couple of years ago, so we have nothing new to keep us dreaming.
Beyond Ambitious had worked really well in Navan three weeks before her debut, so it was no surprise to us that she went off favourite at Limerick.
She ran a huge race when finishing second first-time up but disappointed when only sixth at Cork next time. We subsequently found her to have been in season and one or two little issues forced us to let her off for the summer.
Impossible task
To most people, it must have seemed an impossible task when the mare reappeared in a Grade 3 bumper at Punchestown recently. However, we were confident of a big run and my grandson Ben (Harvey) was very sweet on her chances. He rides out for a few different trainers and was adamant that she was good enough to be involved. Ben, who rode the mare on the day, is an important part of the set-up here at home. Along with his brother Alex and their father, William, they look after the day-to-day running of operations. My son, Daithi, a bloodstock agent, is affectionately referred to as our “consultant”.
Generation
It is because of the second generation that I renewed my licence two years ago having let it lapse. Similar to my own son’s years previously, the grandsons are very interested and have reawakened that drive in me. It is wonderful to have such a promising horse as Beyond Ambitious who can hopefully bring the family many more good days in the coming years.
She has already been schooled over hurdles, jumps well and will be aimed at an EBF mares maiden hurdle before being let off for the summer.
David Harvey was in conversation with John O’Riordan
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