I have worked as supervisor in the registrations department of Horse Racing Ireland since that body assumed responsibility from the Turf Club. Prior to that, I held a similar role within the latter organisation, starting off working between licensing and registrations and then moving to registrations full-time. I consider myself very fortunate to have found employment within the racing industry, as I was brought up around horses and racing.

My father Alfie [Evans] was a former point-to-point rider, who also trained horses under rules and in point-to-points. I have very early memories of him riding in points and was very lucky to be able to watch him for many years of his career, as he didn’t retire until he was 52 and I was 22.

I was always very proud of him as he was as good, as tough, a rider when he retired as when he started! I think it took him a while to adjust to solely training and watching his runners from the ground! He took out his trainers license in 1980, so essentially I grew up in a racing household.

My brother, David, was a successful jockey, whose greatest success came aboard Archive Footage in the 1999 Ladbroke Hurdle. He rode for Dermot Weld for many years and continues to ride out for the Master of Rosewell House. I rode in about 30 races myself, although third was the best finish I managed to achieve. I went racing with my father each time he had a runner and spent most of my teenage years helping out and riding work at home.

I did the Irish National Stud Breeding and Management course after leaving school but decided that racing itself held more of an interest for me. In order to keep everyone happy at home, especially my mother, I completed a secretarial course, which eventually led me to the Turf Club.

Although I have moved from there to HRI in the intervening period, I have essentially spent 22 years working in the administration side of racing. In those early years at the Turf Club, I rode out for John Hayden in the mornings, before going in to work. Later, I moved on to a similar role with Kevin O’Brien when he trained on the Curragh. However, now that I have four kids, I no longer have the time or the energy to ride out before work!

Initially, I worked under Bernard Smullen in the Turf Club registrations department, before taking over from him when he retired, as supervisor of the registrations department, when that role was rebranded by the newly formed Horse Racing Ireland.

With my father being a small trainer, I feel that I have the benefit of seeing both sides perspective when it comes to paperwork and the like. I, and my team in the registrations department are here to help, whether you are a big trainer with a 100+ horses, or a handler with only two or three horses to name. I can relate to a trainer’s frustration when he or she is faced with a mountain of paperwork, something which can be daunting at times. Coming from a racing background, I am only too well aware how difficult it is just to get a horse to the track, never mind the administration work that accompanies it.

Our door is always open to those who need our help – this is something that I am very keen to convey – we are here to advise and help if we can. Our department is responsible for naming all thoroughbreds in Ireland, as well as owner registrations, syndicates partnerships and colours. We also look after passport updates, provide racing clearance for Irish runners abroad, registering authority to acts for owners and returns of horses in/out of training.

Under the new in-house RAS system, it has never been easier for trainers/owners to oversee their registrations and accounts and recent advances in technology certainly make life easier. A trainer can now make entries and declarations on his/her mobile while stood on the gallops at home, whereas in my early years, everything was done by phone, fax or post. Technology has come a long way in over two decades, something that both trainers, owners and those of us in administrative roles can be very grateful for.

Over the last year or so, I can see that ownership is on the increase once more, with a number of new syndicates, partnerships and companies being registered. We have also seen an increase in the amount of foreign-owned horses that are now trained in this country. Irish horses and Irish trainers have always held their own no matter what corner of the world they have competed in and this has been reflected in our figures.

With major success in international races such as the Melbourne Cup, Breeders’ Cup and Cheltenham Festival, Irish trainers are proving beyond doubt that they can compete at the very highest level. We are seeing the fruits of their hard work in our current figures and hopefully the future is bright for Irish racing.

Vicki was in conversation with John O’Riordan