THE Very Man was Dan Kiely and Rob Kearney’s very first venture in racehorse ownership. The nine-year-old has proved very lucky for the pair. Last Saturday, The Very Man won at the Shergar Cup meeting in Ascot. Dan, CEO and co-founder of Voxpro answered our questions.

Have you always been interested in racing?

Since I was a young lad, I was very much passionate about National Hunt racing. I spent a lot of my youth in betting shops. Then I had a business career which was all-consuming, I had operations all over the world. At one point I had 5,000 people working under me. I lost touch with racing completely for about 25 years, because I just didn’t have the time for it. I sold the company in 2019 and I started to slowly creep back into racing. My passion has been reignited massively. It is a wonderful hobby to have.

How did the partnership with Rob Kearney and The Very Man come about?

During Covid, a group of us decided that, when restrictions were lifted, we would buy a horse. Rob actually grew up around horses. His family bred them. When it came down to it, it ended up being just myself and Rob. The two of us headed down to Jessie’s yard and we saw The Very Man and fell in love with him. He has given me the most incredible joy. He has brought us to Punchestown, Ascot and even Cheltenham.

I want to touch on Rob and his rugby connection for a moment. We’ve seen some of the Connacht players involved in racing as well now. The crossover that is forming between the two sports is fantastic?

Yes, absolutely, a lot of the rugby lads that I have met through Rob would be very passionate about horse racing as well. I think the connection and relationship between the two sports is only going to get stronger over time. Especially, when you see the kick that Rob is getting out of The Very Man. He never imagined that he would get such a thrill from it. So I am sure we are going to see more rugby players of past and present getting involved in the sport and ownership in the future.

The one thing that strikes me about The Very Man is that he is incredibly versatile. He won a point-to-point over three miles and last year he finished second in Listowel over a mile and four.

Correct, there are not many horses that can win a bumper, win over hurdles, win over fences and then go on and win on the flat as well, It’s incredible. I was actually taken aback by his performance last Saturday. I wasn’t expecting that sort of turn of foot from him in the closing stages. The same in Galway, I think he did the fastest last 400 yards of the week. He is not a spring chicken either and, like a fine wine, he seems to be getting better with age. The way he races is heart-in-the-mouth stuff, he starts last every time and finishes like a train.

Have you discussed with Jessica what is next on the agenda for The Very Man?

I don’t want to jinx him now but the plan is to have him fit for the Irish Cesarewitch in the Curragh. All going well now, we hope he will run there. There is an outside chance as well that Rivieria Queen might run in the Goffs Million that weekend.

Have you any other horses at the moment?

I have five with the Harringtons. We have a two-year-old Camelot filly, Riviera Queen. Fingers crossed, she could take us to Ascot next year. We have a very exciting gelding, Bo Walking. We have a Walk In The Park filly, who just arrived last week. She is called Million Dollar Diamond. I also have a few across the water with Richard Hannon. There is one of them due to run this Sunday, named Dark Viper. He is a colt by Dark Angel. We are excited about him as well.

What do you look for when you are picking a horse?

I have built up a lot of contacts at this stage of people who buy and sell horses, so I am reasonably well-informed about what’s out there. I would generally lean towards buying a filly because of the residual value. I am also really starting to enjoy the flat these days, which surprised me, as I was always more of a National Hunt man. So in that regard, I am now drawn toward buying flat horses.

Jessica is obviously an incredibly successful trainer over many years now. As an owner in the yard, you would know her on a more personal level than the rest of us, what do you think is the key to her success?

Jessica is an extraordinary woman, not just in sport, but in life. She is someone that I hugely admire. To get that kind of song from The Very Man at nine is incredible. I think she is incredibly good at picking out the right race, for the right horse, at the right time. She has an incredible work ethic and passion for the industry. She has a fantastic eye for a horse. I have nothing but the utmost respect for Jessica and Kate.

How have you found the overall owner’s experience? Is there anything that racing can do to improve the experience or have you been happy enough?

My experience is that I have always been really well looked after, especially in Ireland. I enjoyed the Cork meeting on Easter Monday in the lashings of rain as much as I did Ascot. My experience of Irish racing is so positive. Everyone has been very welcoming and, yeah, I would say the sport in that regard is in a very good place.