How did you get involved with racing?

I’ve always loved racing for as long as I can remember. My dad would have had a couple of small shares in syndicates years ago, but our business actually started sponsoring the Hartys yard during Covid in 2020. We had a few yard visits, and my family like going to the races as well, so I asked Patrick if he had any racing clubs so that I could buy a few small shares for my sons to have them involved. They didn’t, but he offered me a share in Echoes Of Family while she was racing. She gave us what was, up until recently, my best moment on the course in 2022 when she won on the Saturday of the Fairyhouse Irish Grand National meeting. We sponsor jockey Mike O’Connor who was riding her on the day as well so it was brilliant. We have a camera shop, and we deal with a lot of professionals as well as enthusiasts and amateurs.

During Covid, I noticed that racing was the only industry that was still holding events, even with very limited attendance. I realised that people would need to make more content if owners couldn’t attend the races, so they would need to up their game. Because it was a time of uncertainty for people, they mightn’t have been willing to invest in expensive equipment, so I reached out to loads of social media creators and people that made content for racecourses and yards and offered to help them with payment plans and free hire. Lots of people came back to us on it and we got so much business from it I felt that I wanted to give back to the industry. Sally Ann Grassick came up with the idea that we sponsor a trainer and she introduced us to the Hartys. My dad’s health isn’t fantastic and he’s at home a lot, so he watches the racing and if he sees our logo at the races it’s great.

Tell us about your most recent winner, Irish Panther.

We bought him at the end of October last year. I was looking at big races all the time that have a smaller number of runners than I think they should, and I saw an opportunity to buy a horse to take us to those big races to enjoy the festivals and be involved with big race days. Patrick picked out Irish Panther as a horse he felt might bring us to a few of the big days. I own him with Jennifer Coyle who is another owner with the Hartys and the two of us took a chance on him. We went slightly over budget but Eddie and Patrick were fairly adamant that he was good value for what we wanted.

Last season he brought us to Leopardstown on St Stephen’s Day, the DRF, the Cheltenham Festival, and the Punchestown Festival, so we ticked all of the boxes last year. This year, Jennifer wanted him to win over hurdles before we went chasing which was my preference, and the Hartys have done both! He’s won over hurdles by 31 lengths on the bridle, and then he won a fairly deep beginners’ chase at Naas. Eddie and Patrick have mentioned running him at Leopardstown this Christmas in the Grade 1 novice chase, so that would be brilliant, but we’ll go wherever they tell us.

You’ve ridden on the track yourself, tell us about that.

Riding in the Pat Smullen Charity race was my best day at the races this year. I would have done a very small amount of riding club activities 20 odd years ago but I’d never ridden a racehorse. I had a bad car accident in 2020, and I said to myself when I was recovered, I’d like to do something to put it behind me to mark the end of that chapter of my life. I was talking to Ryan Sands who rode in the Corinthian Challenge last year, and having been there on the day, the buzz and the excitement was amazing.

I knew I wanted to do it. I had briefly mentioned it to Patrick, and he said that it would take me a while to train and that I would have to allow myself a year of training. This year, when the expressions of interest were sought for the race, I found out that my cousin who I’m very close to had been diagnosed with cancer, so I saw that as a sign. I expressed interest, and the Curragh accepted it immediately and were very supportive of me. I got Paddy Flood’s number, and he was brilliant. I went down to RACE at the end of February to meet him and he put me on the simulator and said we’d give it our best shot. He said there was no guarantee that I’d be able to ride in the race in August but we’d try our best to get there. The first week of March was the first time I sat on a racehorse and I rode around the Curragh in my own colours on August 30th, so I didn’t do too badly! Liv Marnane won the race, and she was the best winner for the race as far as I was concerned. It couldn’t have been a more fitting win, it was the best atmosphere I’ve ever felt.

What was your preparation like?

I did a lot with Paddy and then got to a stage where I needed to be riding out in a racing yard. When you’re riding out on the Curragh, everybody’s safety is paramount, your own, the other riders, people around the Curragh, there’s so much going on. Even though I thought I was ready, it was a bit of a rude awakening when I went to the gallops on an actual racehorse that was in training rather than a retired horse in RACE, but I loved every minute of the training. I was riding out four mornings a week and worked my way up to three lots, riding different horses for the Hartys. They were very good to me and showed a lot of faith. They gave me lots of help and guidance, Eddie kept me on the straight and narrow. I got a few bollockings off him as well so that made me feel like one of the work riders there! The staff in Hartys were brilliant as well, we had great fun riding out together.

We also sponsor Chris Hayes, and I got to ride work with him on the Old Vic which was amazing. There are so few sports, that as a total beginner, you get to go and train with people at the top of their profession. Imagine a football fan going to a training session with a team they support at their home club! It’s the best feeling.

Did you find it mentally challenging?

It was hard work, I live an hour from the Curragh so I was up very early every morning. I was lucky to have the support of my wife and kids, and the staff at our shop, because I was essentially a part-time worker for the summer and in a family business that’s not easy.

Because it was so enjoyable, it wasn’t quite as tough mentally or physically as I thought it was going to be, but on the odd morning I was questioning whether I really wanted to get up and do it. There’s a commitment there, and I was doing it for my cousin. However hard it was for me to do it, she was going through a harder journey.

Where do you get your fashion inspiration from at the races?

I get it from myself! I’m not a trend follower; I’m a trend setter. I get a lot of my suits from Louis Copeland. One of the staff members in particular, John, looks after me in there. They do made-to-measure suits so he’ll go through different patterns and designs with me. I firmly believe that you only live once, and you have to enjoy it. I love getting dressed up and going to the races. They were the fashion partner on Champions Weekend this year and Louis judged the men’s best dressed.

How can we get more people involved in racing?

From an owner’s perspective, I think that owners aren’t always treated as importantly as I think they are. At some courses, there’s nowhere for owners to go if you’re entertaining a few people, or the owners’ area can be rammed. Apart from that, I don’t believe the excitement of a day at the races is sold enough. There’s so much more to a race day than just being involved with a horse that’s running. To get younger people involved is really important. I’ve met people through racing that have become great friends that I wouldn’t have met if it wasn’t for racing so it’s a great social event. It’s just about having fun. If it was an easy game everyone would be at it, and there is a dream there to be sold, but it’s about the journey along the way, not just the end goal.