GROWING up on a farm, riding ponies, and with a father involved in racehorse ownership, it was a natural progression for John Duggan to catch the racing bug. His ambition of owning horses good enough to take him to the biggest stages is turning into a reality with Lets Go Champ’s second place in the Aintree Foxhunters.

“He’s part of an ongoing process of acquiring a team of horses, with the aim being running at the bigger festivals,” John tells me, when asked about Lets Go Champ, last year’s purchase from Henry de Bromhead. “Where he is today compared to where he was in January… it’s quite amazing. On New Year’s Eve, he was sent to Fethard and we thought he wouldn’t survive. It’s thanks to Ger Kelly and all the team up there, who do a phenomenal job.

“He was bought with Cheltenham in mind and, because we were delayed in getting going with him, we had to come up with a new plan. Mags and Danny Mullins came up with a really good plan, and we aimed him for the Tetratema Cup at Gowran Park, which qualified us for Aintree.

“As an owner you just want to be at the big festivals, so to have a horse that takes you there, and then performs, it’s a real privilege,” he says, still sounding like he can’t quite believe his luck.

It can’t have been easy for John, with things going wrong not long after buying Champ, and having to set aside his dream of a Cheltenham winner. “I think you have to have total faith in the trainer and the yard that you’re placing your horses, and that’s what I have with Mags and Danny (Mullins),” John says.

Business-minded approach

“We share the same principles – they approach horse racing the same way I approach business – every detail matters. Every horse in Mags’ yard is trained differently to suit each horse, and that’s how we’ve gotten the best out of Champ, even as an 11-year-old. You’re going to have good days and bad days, and you need to be patient.”

However, this ambition to own festival runners didn’t come from nowhere, and there’s a deeper reason driving him on. “My dad’s dream was to have a Cheltenham Festival winner,” John recalls. “When he passed away four years ago, I tattooed the GPS co-ordinates of Cheltenham’s winning post to my arm,” he admits through a laugh, before adding, “I’ll look a bit mad in five years, if I’m still hunting for a Cheltenham winner! I have been working incredibly hard between Loanitt and the farm to afford better horses to try and get us to Cheltenham.”

John’s business, Loanitt, was founded with his own racing interests in mind. “I founded Loanitt basically in a bedroom with my best friend. I realised that no bank in the world would pay me enough money to be able to afford a racehorse, so I had to go and set up my own business! I love the fact that we can get involved in racing and promote the business.

“A lot of our clients are in racing, and Danny is our brand ambassador. It was only when I moved back home from the UK to take over the farm and started Loanitt that I got into ownership.”

It’s not just ownership that John is involved in. Having ridden out as a teenager, he dusted off his boots and got back in the saddle a few years ago. “Three or four years ago, I got back into riding out at Mags’ and I love it there, especially now that I have my own horses. It’s a huge privilege to be part of the whole journey.

Hard work

“I have a new-found appreciation for the fitness levels of jockeys, and it definitely gave me a greater appreciation for how much it actually takes to get a horse to the races. I don’t think anyone does it better than Mags. If you fire ammunition into a professional setup like hers, you can’t guarantee success, but you certainly narrow the gap to failure.”

Since the purchase of Lets Go Champ last year, John has acquired three more rounds of ammo. “I bought a two-year-old Jukebox Jury filly at the Arkle Sale last summer. She’s showing all of the right signs at home and she’ll go for an academy hurdle in the autumn.

“Thyrhona is a three-year-old filly I bought about two months ago. Pierre Boulard picked her up for me in France, he’s a very shrewd operator so it’s great to work with him. More recently, I bought Harry Des Ongrais from Henry de Bromhead, who has a very similar profile to Champ, he’s settled in very well and, if all goes to plan, he’ll be at Galway this summer.”

While chasing his dream of big winners, it’s clear that John hasn’t forgotten to have fun along the way. “I think Irish racecourses can sometimes forget that,” John says. “The way we were looked after at Aintree was phenomenal.

“There seems to be an emphasis on whether you’re a sole owner, in a partnership, or a syndicate, and there’s only a certain number of tickets for the owners, I think there’s no greater load of nonsense! Some courses seem to be more interested in hospitality than entertaining their owners.”

The next test

Following on from Aintree, Champ’s next assignment is the Champion Hunter Chase at the Punchestown Festival, where he will once again be ridden by John’s partner Sophie Carter. “Sophie’s done a phenomenal job with him. She gets on very well with him and she gave him a tremendous ride at Aintree.

“Over two miles and five, on good ground, Champ couldn’t go with the pace early on and she didn’t panic. We weren’t going to beat the favourite with those conditions, but over three miles I wouldn’t mind taking him on.

“We’ll probably see him to better effect at three miles in Punchestown next week. He’s a real stayer, that’s his forte. As a farmer, I want the sun to come out for the grass to grow, but I’m also secretly wanting rain, so that Champ gets his ground!”

With Punchestown next on the agenda, the Cheltenham winning post John carries with him every day, may not remain just a tattoo for too long.