We have Dha Leath that ran last week in the Curragh, he is with Gavin Cromwell. On Your Bike is also with Gavin. We have Look Don’t Touch who is with Dermot McLoughlin. Then we have two more that are unnamed at the moment, one with Gavin as well and one with Jim Dreaper.

What do you think is the biggest

drawback of being a racehorse owner?

I suppose you know getting into it that it’s expensive. The syndicates are a big help in that respect. It spreads the load. If you have the means and you enjoy it there aren’t any major drawbacks. It is a great social outlet. The biggest drawback I suppose is the advantage that the big owners and trainers have. Even if the likes of ourselves decided to spend big money on a horse, there is no guarantee either that he would be any good.

Do you prefer flat or National Hunt racing?

I like both to be honest. As an owner, you get more runs in the flat, so you get more value out of it. If they like goodish ground, you can run through the winter during Dundalk. I suppose our first love would be National Hunt. If we were to sit down at the weekend and watch the races we would probably prefer the National Hunt but we’re in both and we enjoy both. I suppose as well the ultimate dream for us would be to have a runner with a chance at the Cheltenham Festival.

What qualities do you look for in a trainer?

Someone you can approach and talk to. There has to be a level of trust. Gavin Cromwell is probably the full package. He is great at mapping out races for horses and he’s very easy to talk to, and very approachable. We like to have a little bit of a say you know, If you’ve no say, you might as well not have a horse. It’s nice to feel included and listened to.

Are there positive changes that can be made to encourage people to get involved with ownership and to keep current owners involved?

Horse racing should be doing more to encourage more people into the races that are involved. For example, all owners should be able to use their badges to get into race days. You would get more people through the gate for a start. You would also have a situation where various owners are having more interaction with each other. We have to encourage the more social aspect of horse racing ownership because it is a social outlet. It’s just an incentive. The owners’ passes should not be limited either. If you have a big syndicate, when you are going for food vouchers, it can be very awkward. If there are 10 people in the syndicate, their all paying the same amount of money so they all should get the same perks.

What do you look out for when you are buying a horse?

I suppose pedigree comes first and foremost. Then you like a smart individual, a smart walker as well. With the National Hunt, we tend not to go for Horses that are overly big because they can be hard to keep sound. You know they will grow into themselves and you have to give them a bit of time. We tend not to go for overly big horses. 16.1 or so is big enough. We would go for a horse that is just sharper and a smarter walker over a bigger horse.

What significance do your colours hold?

Well, Judy used to play hockey for the Swords Hockey club. That’s the club colours. Usually, people go for GAA colours, but we went for hockey colours.

What advice would you give to someone thinking of getting into racehorse ownership?

Maybe get in with a syndicate for the first time, hopefully, you will be able to get in with someone who has a bit of experience in it. That way you have someone who knows the ins and out in your corner and you are not putting an awful lot of money into it either.