FLAT jockeys Gary Halpin and Sean Davis have rented out a yard just off the Curragh for a new venture involving breezing, racing and buying two-year-olds.

The pair have been involved in the breeze-up sector for the last few years, riding for consignors such as Roger O’Callaghan, John Cullinan and Con Marnane. They sold their first two-year-old at the Goffs UK Breeze-Up in April and are now ready to commit more time and money to the project.

“I’ve been riding breezers for different people for the last 10 years and Sean has done for the last few years,” Halpin said. “We sold a Galileo Gold colt this year and he was second first time out for John O’Donoghue recently at Dundalk. We’ve decided now to commit a bit more to it; spend more time at it and put our money back into it.

“We’ve rented out Kathleen Kennedy’s yard at the Curragh and we’ve six horses to breeze next year. We bought an Inns Of Court in Doncaster for £55,000, who is now a half sibling to a multiple stakes-placed filly that George Boughey trains, and then we got a Cotai Glory colt for €65,000 for in Fairyhouse, from the family of Fairyland.

“So we had to be brave but we worked the sales very hard and we think we’ve found value in the prices we’ve paid. We’re very committed and willing to work hard to do our best with our horses and it’s exciting times.”

The two have ridden over 300 winners between them on the track, which will still be their primary focus, while the hope is to grow this venture in time and take horses on for outside clients.

“We’ll very much still be riding on the track as much as we can,” Halpin says. “I’m very driven to keep on riding and will be riding work for as many trainers as I can still, but there are other things you can do outside of that.

“We’re open to business and we’d gladly take a horse or two that an owner wanted to breeze. It’s not just that we’d be happy with four or five, we’d hope that in a couple of years we will have a few more.

“We’d never put ourselves under too much pressure. It’s hard to get staff nowadays as well. You have to do everything yourself but we’re happy with the way things are going and we feel we’ve got nice horses to offer at auction next year.”