How did you get involved with horse racing?

I used to go pony racing, so that got me interested. I love racing and my family love racing so it’s great. My partner and my son Luke and I are all a bit addicted to racing! Once you have that need for speed there’s no going back.

Tell me about Warazam.

Seamus (Bergin) bred Warazam. She was only our second foal ever to breed. We bred one before and it won a couple of races on the track as well. We’re delighted that Warazam got there. We’re very lucky. We’ve had the mare (Ta) for a long time. She’s well bred but she’s small so we took a chance with her and said we’d see how it goes. Warazam is small as well so I hope the handicapper won’t be too hard on her.

We were knocking on the door for a while. She had three or four seconds last year and was unlucky not to get her head in front. Tom Whelan from Abbeyleix foaled her and broke her for us, so Ronan (Whelan, jockey) has ridden her for us.

We’d know Dylan Browne McMonagle and Nicola Burns as well and they’ve finished second on her, so it just didn’t work out. We were delighted to give Joey (Harnett, jockey) the win. We’d be good supporters of claiming riders so we’re delighted for him too.

It’s so hard when you have a nice horse, and you’re getting weight for finishing second, your days are numbered then. There’s not much we can do about it, but we’re delighted to have the days out and to get the win.

We’re very happy for Warazam because she has a big heart and she has to try very hard because all of the horses around her are bigger. She’s been so unlucky being placed every time she went out this year, knocking on the door last year, almost getting there a few times. Jarlath (Fahey, trainer) and the girls are great as well, they’re very homely.

How did the partnership with Jarlath come about?

We just knew him as a trainer from following racing and we’d know him locally. The girls up there, Ciara, and Triona, are great. They’re just a great bunch of people.

Would the plan be to eventually keep Warazam as a broodmare?

We’ll see how she goes. It’s hard to get something with a big heart, and when you happen upon them it’s better than anything. She gives us her all, so maybe, yeah.

Have you discussed future race plans yet?

Not yet, no, we’ll just plough on and see what we can get her into. We’ll have to see what card we’re dealt by the handicapper. We’d like to get another few runs into her, but the season is running out fast. She’s bouncing, she’s fresh, and Jarlath has her in great form.

What was Warazam like as a youngster?

She was straightforward enough. A little bit quirky at the beginning, but that’s fillies, I suppose. If you asked Tom, I’m sure he’d say she had a few quirks when he was breaking her! We let her off for a while after she was broken, and when she came back in she was grand.

It must have felt very special to see her win, having been involved from the very beginning.

It is, but I suppose it’s a long road. You have a good few pound pumped into it and you wonder if you’d bought something you might have been better off. At least when you have them from a foal you know exactly what you’ve got, and you know they didn’t get any hardship.

It’s difficult because you do put a lot of money into it, but we have a great crew that come racing with us. They couldn’t be there on Tuesday but we bring a good crew with us and it’s a great day out. The ladies at Punchestown brought us in for a glass of bubbly after the race and they were lovely. It makes the day special. Those people make a good day out of it.

Were you expecting the win on Tuesday?

We expected a good run, but we were expecting her to run well the last day (in Clonmel) and she just died off a bit. After so many seconds we just thought she had seconditis. We’re pure stubborn though so we want to give her the best shot. You’re either in for the long haul or you’re not.

How have you found the overall ownership experience?

We go racing every single day that she runs, we’d never miss it. My son is 13 and he was pure thick that I didn’t take him out of school to come to Punchestown on Tuesday!

We just love it, the people you meet, and the craic you have with people of all ages. When you have a winner it’s just an added bonus. Seeing successful jockeys and trainers that might know is just brilliant as well. I’d go racing every day if I could.

What challenges have you faced as an owner?

It can be hard to get into the races that you want at our level. It would nearly turn you off. It’s hard when you have them fit and ready. It’s not too bad for me as I understand the industry, but for a trainer with owners that don’t, it’s probably difficult to keep them on board.

What do you think is the key to getting more people involved?

Sometimes I feel like the game is a bit dead when I go racing. Bringing a bit of youth into it is so important. Life in general is very expensive for younger people now, so a day’s racing can be expensive.

We’re bitten by the bug already, so maybe free entry for younger racegoers would entice them to get involved. The youth are the future. We have a battle, as does every sport, against mobile phones and people not being out in a yard so much. There needs to be more of a buzz at those midweek meetings.