JONES Racing has appointed Gearóid O’Loughlin as manager of their pre-training base in Co Meath, it was announced today, October 24th.

A Clare native, O’Loughlin picked up invaluable experience at the famed Costello family nursery in Co Clare before going on to work for legendary trainer Jim Bolger and he has more recently spent time with famed National Hunt handler Enda Bolger. Furthermore he has both ridden and trained point-to-point winners in recent seasons.

The 2016/17 season was another successful one for Jones Racing and it saw Chris Jones finish the campaign in the top five leading National Hunt owners in Ireland. Noble Endeavor’s Paddy Power Chase triumph, a Grade 1 success for the sadly ill-fated Mega Fortune and a series of fine efforts at the top-level from Ordinary World were among the highlights of last season.

Gearóid will now manage the equine interests of the Jones family at Killeen Glebe, a 200-acre holding near Dunsany in Co Meath. In his role he will be tasked with overseeing the running of the yard and the pre-training of young horses who come from the various store sales during summer. These horses will spend their formative season under Gearóid’s care and will race from the Killeen yard in their first season.

Furthermore he will also work with Mags O’Toole and Kevin and Anna Ross in the purchasing of National Hunt foals and will oversee their subsequent preparation for the major store sales as three-year-olds. Jones Racing is now in its fourth year of pinhooking and has sold six figure lots in two of the last three years.

Andy Lynch, who has been working with Jones Racing since its foundation eight years ago, remains a key member of the team and will continue to train Grade 1-winning chaser Zabana along with Jarob and several other promising sorts.

Speaking today Chris Jones said: “We are delighted to welcome Gearóid to Jones Racing as our new manager. Having worked for three especially successful and renowned operations, he brings with him a wealth of invaluable experience”.

“Gearóid will work alongside Andy Lynch and will take on the overall management of the yard, the commercial equine interests of Jones Racing and also be involved in the purchase and sale of National Hunt foals. We’re looking forward to a busy and productive season and hope that, under Gearóid’s guidance, the yard will continue to go from strength to strength.”

Speaking an about his new position O’Loughlin commented: “I’m very excited about taking up this role. When you arrive at the yard in Killeen there’s a special atmosphere created by a small and passionate team whose efforts have already produced some very impressive results.

“It has been an exciting few years here on all fronts and I’m really looking forward to working with Mags, Kevin and Anna at the upcoming sales this winter as we look to secure some stars of the future.

“From a racing perspective we’ll stick to the formula that has already worked so well for Chris and Andy and which has consistently produced results at the major Festivals throughout the season. At home training will be overseen by Andy Lynch and myself and externally we will continue to use Gordon Elliott, Arthur Moore and Henry de Bromhead.”

“Like everyone else in this industry we want to win big races but we also have to manage the commercial future and outlook of the farm. Managing both key elements is an exciting challenge for me and it’s one that I am especially excited about,” concluded O’Loughlin.