Tell us about how you got interested in racing and a bit of background about your interest in the sport at a younger age

My horse racing interest was piqued at an early age, watching the ITV Seven with my dad on Saturday afternoons. I was captivated by those strenuous displays of jockeyship from the confines of his armchair when the money was down… as it invariably was! This bonding culminated in our annual mid-March pilgrimage to Prestbury Park, which stretched for almost 20 years together from the early 1990s onwards.

Tell us how the syndicate came about and who is involved

The Annus Mirabilis Syndicate was hatched from discussions between myself and Annemarie O’Brien in late 2015, just ahead of Joseph’s transition from jockey to training ranks. The opportunity for like-minded racing aficionados to get involved with the young maestro at the formative stage of his training career was an easy sell for me, and the syndicate was registered amongst 15 friends in early 2016, with the first winner (Stone Mountain at Dundalk) following some weeks later. I’m happy to say that 10 of the founding members remain active to this day.

You recently had your 100th winner when How About No won at Dundalk, that must have been a fantastic feeling.

Yes, that was a magical night! We were on a nervous 99 winners for some time, awaiting How About No’s reappearance after his highly promising debut last October. Our trainer and jockey were confident, as was the market, but we didn’t dare to be until Dylan finally eased down in the shadow of the winning post! Nine members of the syndicate were on hand to celebrate our milestone that night, and Dundalk proved excellent hosts, as always.

Out of your 100 winners, is there one that sticks out as being your favourite?

Who’s our favourite child?! There are some great memories amongst the 100 winners, like Too Precious (subsequent dam of Porta Fortuna) running up four Dundalk victories in 23 days, Lunar Display emerging from deep fog to land listed honours at Thurles, Motherland posting a record winning distance at the Galway Festival, and Dom Carlos scything through the Windsor Castle field to grab a podium finish at Royal Ascot.

However, the syndicate favourite, and by some distance, is San Andreas, seven times a winner and 12 times runner-up in 45 starts for us over the past five years, and his zest for racing dimmed not one iota in what is now his seventh year on the track.

Tell us about your relationship with Joseph O’Brien and the success that you have had with him

If Joseph was a racehorse, he’d be a Triple Crown winner! He is that perfect combination of pedigree, talent, temperament and commitment, but he is also an excellent motivator (of both staff and owners!) and communicator, with a keen sense of humour and a self-effacing approach to life. The only attribute that jars is his perplexing devotion to Manchester United, but (as a lifelong Everton sufferer) I guess we all have our crosses to bear!

Any story behind the colours?

No particular story, other than the fact we were the very first to choose them, and they have proved extraordinarily lucky for us ever since!

Have you any horses that either have or have not been seen at the track yet that you are excited about?

We have a string of 15 horses (both flat and National Hunt) to look forward to in the coming year, but there are perhaps two worthy of particular mention at this stage. Thunder Roll is a gorgeous lightly-raced four-year-old filly (by Night Of Thunder) who broke her maiden in Galway listed company last September and who we hope will hold her own in stakes company over 12-14-furlong trips this year. Galileo Dame is a once-raced three-year-old filly (by Galileo Gold) who really caught the eye in a back-end Gowran maiden last year, and who has been pleasing Joseph on the Owning gallops over the winter months

Is there anything you think can be done to improve the sport for syndicates like yourselves?

I think the Irish race-going experience has improved materially for syndicate members since we ourselves set out in 2016. Racecourse and paddock access is now far less constrained than heretofore, while owner hospitality across the 26 tracks ranges from the acceptable to the exemplary, save the very odd exception (or two!) that I probably don’t need to pinpoint.

You have horses that are leased and you have horses that you own yourself. Can you expand a bit more on your method of sourcing horses?

Our syndicate model is now a broadly 50/50 hybrid of owned and leased horses, a combination that aims to maximise racecourse appearances (and hopefully winners) at a relatively low cost. All horses are sourced through Joseph’s prowess in the sales ring (both yearling and HIT), alongside available stock from Whisperview’s never-ending production line.

Any advice for someone looking to get involved in racehorse ownership?

If, like us, you are in love with the game, then find a way to indulge your passion, as there is no experience quite like the joy of seeing your colours carried to victory by racehorses of any stripe. Naturally, finance represents the most obvious barrier to entry, but syndicates offer burden-sharing solutions to deliver racehorse ownership to all who aspire to it.