IT’S a bit of a post-race cliché to hear that a horse is ‘improving’, but when jockeys’ feedback goes from “it wasn’t the strongest of races” to “this is special and I think she’s got a very bright future”, you know that a mare is genuinely on the up. That was very much the case for Cousin Kate, who landed the Listed Paddy And Maureen Mullins Mares Handicap Hurdle at Leopardstown last Sunday. Even her owner, Liam Mulryan, admitted to being pleasantly surprised. “It’s a pity I didn’t believe it because I didn’t back her! I thought she was up against it,” he reflected. Mulryan himself wasn’t on course to witness the success, but his family were there to enjoy the moment. “The family were all at Leopardstown. I was kind of sorry I didn’t go really, but I haven’t been there any time she won so I didn’t want to put any bad luck on her.”

Cousin Kate, is out of the Grade 1 winning mare Augusta Kate, and sold for less than was expected at the Goffs Arkle sale in 2024, where she was bought for €50,000. She was purchased by Liam’s son Hugh, who tragically passed away last year, making the Leopardstown victory all the more poignant. “We bought her on the pedigree really. I didn’t think we’d get her for that price, and we were kind of at our limit,” Liam explained. It was a meaningful success not just for the Mulryan family, but also for trainer Denis Hogan, who knew Hugh well. As Liam simply put it, “It’s great that Hugh left something after him.”

Successful pedigree

Augusta Kate has so far produced three blacktype-winning mares with Cousin Kate, Baby Kate, and Amen Kate. “I was reading in The Irish Field recently that Augusta Kate has three or four more coming along. A Poet’s Word and a few more. I don’t think I’d be able to afford any more of them.” If Cousin Kate were to line up at the Cheltenham Festival, the value of her pedigree would only increase further, and that appears to be the obvious next step. “She has two choices there, the mares’ novice hurdle or the Martin Pipe,” said Liam. Mulryan’s love of horses stretches back to his childhood, and success came early.. “I was brought up on a small farm in the west of Ireland where we had farm horses for doing the work. I always loved horses, so when I could afford to buy one, I did.

“The first horse I bought won six races, and then I was involved in another horse with a friend of mine, and he won nine. I was really bitten by the bug then, it was great. Times were tough back then but the horses kept us going.” There have been plenty of high points since. “I had a very good horse called Eva’s Request who won on the flat. We also had Silk Affair who won the Fred Winter. I had another very good horse called Dev, he won the Grand Sefton at Aintree. He was trained by Mick Quinlan.”

These days, the majority of Mulryan’s horses are trained by Denis Hogan. “I go back a good while with Denis, we’ve had a lot of winners together,” he recalled. There is also a strong team of younger horses waiting in the wings. “I have three more with Denis, a half-brother to Young Dev, a point-to-pointer, and a two-year-old. I have three point-to-pointers with Terence O’Brien that Hughie bought, one of them was second last year, and the other two haven’t ran yet.”

Trying to keep track of them all can be a challenge. “Sometimes I try and forget about them, especially at the end of the month when you see the bills coming!” he joked. Along with his horses in training, Liam is an active breeder and has several youngsters to look forward to. “We have a nice Walk In The Park two-year-old, a nice Poet’s Word. Poet’s Word is one of my favourite sires, and I have a lovely filly by Stradavarius who is related to Hello Neighbour. I’m cutting back so I have no mares in foal this year. It’s a tough game.”

Bills, bills, bills!

It is a tough game, and it’s a phrase that we hear a lot in racing, but when asked what he finds toughest of all, Mulryan didn’t hesitate. “Paying the bills!” he quipped.

“It’s tough but it gives you something to get up for. I’d be lonely if I didn’t have any horses.” He is also realistic about the broader financial pressures facing the sport.

“The costs are high, but the cost of everything is high nowadays. The trainers can’t help it because everything is expensive for them.

“We’re not too bad in Ireland having decent prize money, but it’s desperate in England.”

While we were on the subject of prize money, I mentioned HRI’s recent announcement of a boost in Irish prize money. Along with this boost, there is also an increase in entry fees which fall on the owner.

“The one comment I’d make is that entry and declaration fees are too high,” said Liam, before adding “I had a horse in part of a syndicate during the recession.

“She won 12 races, and her entry fees, declaration fees, jockey fees, training fees and commissions, were more than what she won.”

As they say, it’s a tough game, but you can’t put a price on the thrill of winning.