CIARAN Dunne is a man with his feet firmly on the ground. When I caught up with him on Thursday morning in Ocala, Florida, I started by congratulating him on his achievement a week or so earlier in obtaining $2.6 million and $1.3 million respectively for two-year-olds at the Gulfstream Sale.

There was no ego evident however as he thanked me, adding that “the good ones pay for the mistakes. Anyone who tells you that luck doesn’t play a part in this is not telling the truth. We are lucky to have a great client base, people who believe in you.”