How did your involvement in racing begin?

I was a GP in Freshford, Kilkenny, until recently. I came from Cork City and new nothing about horses other than my father having a few bob on a horse at the weekend. I remember him backing Nicholas Silver in the Grand National way back in the day at some good price and he was doing handstands!

We used to go racing in Mallow on Easter Monday, but that was it for the year, maybe the odd point-to-point.

I came to Kilkenny in the mid-70s, and Lodge Park Stud was there in the village. Looking at those foals was magical stuff, and I said I had to get a mare just to have them around the house. So I got the broodmare sorted.

A friend of mine, Bill Brennan, who’s gone to his eternal reward now, kept the mare for a while for me until I got used to it, but she aborted, and that was the start of our breeding career. Bill was into racing, so we got a gelding together, a horse called Timurid, and he won a maiden in Tralee when it was still going. He also had a mare called Felicity’s Pet who won the Thyestes Chase at 33/1.

That was almost on a level with Seo Linn’s Aintree win because it was so local. Joe Murphy trained her, and the following year she came out and finished second. It was brilliant, we had two great years there. There was a bit of a gap then. I had a few myself that I bred, and Michael Halford trained them, around the turn of the century. One of those won a flat maiden under Michael Kinane, and also won a maiden hurdle under Paul Carberry so we had good days out with her.

I stopped for another while then, which is when I became friends with Anthony Phelan, and he had Eastern Appeal whom he couldn’t sell. He brought her home and we formed a syndicate ourselves with our wives, and Cara Byrnes, the daughter of Seamus Byrnes at Lodge Park. We became the Fair is Fair Syndicate. Michael Halford trained her, and she was Group 1 standard. We were blown away by her. She won her maiden in the Curragh first time out, the Athasi Stakes, the Concorde Stakes, I think she was fourth in the Matron. She was tremendous and we had great fun with her. Then, I stopped again until Seo Linn came along.

Tell us about the early days with Seo Linn.

Anthony bred the filly with a nephew of his. Anthony didn’t take her to the sales which would be unusual. He decided to put her into training with Paddy Twomey, with the idea of breeding off her later. I was listening to Anthony saying that she was okay, and one day every year we go down to Coolmore to sort out stallion nominations as we do some breeding together, and coming home in the car with his son Ciarán, Anthony said that Paddy was quite happy with her. I told Anthony that I’d go in on a half-share if he wanted but he didn’t bite. Within the week he said we’d have a go, so that’s where it started.

Had you always planned on going down the

bumper route?

We thought at that stage it would be flat only, but after a little while, Paddy came up with the idea to try her in a bumper. She had her first run in a bumper in Ballinrobe finishing second, and then a few weeks later she went out and won. He said he’d head to Cheltenham for a listed bumper at the November meeting. It didn’t suit myself or Anthony to head over, but Ciarán went and had an absolute ball of a time with his friends. She scooted up the hill and won doing handstands.

Paddy then decided to put her away for Aintree. I go to Aintree every year. I used to go to Cheltenham but I found it became more and more crowded, and I stopped enjoying it, but I love Aintree, so this was music to my ears because I was going to be there anyway. I was there with my wife Bridget, and her nephew came over for the race, and Anthony and Margaret came with their family.

We had an unbelievable day, it was just magic. We were all together in the bottom stand and you could see her coming up the track.

You knew she was in the lead and it was the longest straight ever with 19 horses trying to catch her. How she stayed in front was unreal. After the race, coming in through the tunnel, everyone was shouting and roaring, thrilled for us. Willie had three Grade 1 winners on the same day, and here we were, small fry winning the Nickel Coin Mares. Faces that I knew from racing coming up, shaking hands, thrilled for us. It was a magical day, we’ll never experience it again.

She’s got a great partnership with Billy Lee.

Billy is a brilliant jockey. He got a bad break there but he’s back to himself and they get on like a house on fire. We were disappointed after Punchestown when Carrigmoornaspruce beat her, but Billy wasn’t able to ride her as we were back in Ireland and needed an amateur jockey. She ran great to finish second, but I feel the lack of that combination was her undoing.

Are there any horses that especially stand out for you?

Eastern Appeal was the best, but Seo Linn probably gave me more fun because of my age. I probably felt that this was it. The day in Aintree was unbelievable and she’s still running so well. She was really back to form the other day in Killarney with a bit of cut in the ground. It made a huge difference to her. She’s never run a bad one, amazingly. She’s consistent every day and never ran a stinker. She’s an amazing filly.

We think maybe that the bumpers took it out of her on her first few runs, so she emptied a bit before running on the flat. We gave her a break after her run at Tramore in July, and she came back in better form. She was second in Gowran Park, and now she’s won at Killarney. Where to now, we don’t know, she’s entered in the sales in Newmarket in December, but she ran so well the other day you wouldn’t know what could happen next.

Would you find it hard to let her go?

I would yeah. She’s been really entertaining, and so consistent, it would be hard to let her off. It would be impossible to find another one like her, especially at my stage in life. It’s been magical.

Were you confident going into the race in Killarney?

We were because we knew she’d improve that bit, and she did. The race cut up a bit as well and probably wasn’t as strong as other ones that she’s ran in. There was just one little issue coming into the straight where Billy had to barge his way out a small bit, but I think he could have waited all day and come in his own time. We had a great day there too. We got a table, and had a full meal, and a great chat. Bridget’s nephew came with his wife, we had a great time. There’s a great buzz there and they get great crowds.

When you started your journey as an owner, what were your expectations?

I think my expectations were just to have a runner. We got mediocre luck early on, and then we got better and better with Eastern Appeal and Seo Linn. Knowing how hard it is to get one as good as that has been very satisfying. Starting out you don’t realise that, and not having had anyone in the game before me.