How did you get into racehorse ownership?

MY first involvement in ownership was with a horse called Johann Bach, trained by my son Patrick.

The horse won six races for us and was a great servant. In 2017, my husband Patrick and I were on the look-out for a broodmare we could cover and put in-foal.

Our son John later phoned us from the Goffs November Sale, explaining that he had found a nice broodmare from a very good family and recommended that we brought her. We purchased the mare, Flame Of Hibernia, for €8,000.

It was a family decision to cover the mare that spring with the Tally-Ho stallion Mehmas, a decision that I particularly have to commend my sons John and Patrick for. The outcome of that breeding cross is how we came to have Flame Of Eire, a filly who we are currently enjoying a fantastic season with.

What was your best day at the races and why?

There are a few moments that really stand out to me, it’s hard to pick just one.

I really enjoyed when Flame Of Eire won her first race, a handicap at Limerick in early July this year. It’s a wonderful feeling to buy a mare, put it in-foal, foal it down and see the offspring grow and go on to win on the track.

Flame Of Eire’s second win at the Galway Festival gave me a great feeling, I’ll never forget winning there.

Present with me for Flame Of Eire’s most recent win, at Bellewstown, was my eldest brother Seamus. He rode at Bellewstown 50 years ago, finishing second to a very good horse.

My sister Anne was also there with us this day, and the whole family got very emotional when we witnessed Seamus leading Flame Of Eire back into the winner’s enclosure after the race.

We loved the live music they had between the races and it was just a great fun day!

What is the biggest drawback about being a racehorse owner?

So far, my husband Patrick and I haven’t come across any. We feel very blessed that the horses we have chosen to put in training have been of great success for us. Every racecourse we have visited has treated us well as owners and we absolutely love having the horses.

What qualities do you look for in a trainer?

The flat horses that we have in training are with Andrew Slattery, based in Tipperary. My husband and I have followed Andrew for the past number of years and found him to be a very genuine trainer and an exceptional horseman.

Andrew has a very close-knit family business, working alongside both of his brothers William and Brian. He also has a son, Andrew Jr., who is a very talented young jockey.

All of Andrew’s family are very good horse people and their close family connection helps them to understand my family’s close connection to racing. That’s what’s important to me. Andrew and his family have welcomed us in, they encourage us to come down and see Flame Of Eire anytime we want, and they have always kept us very well informed and updated on our horses.

What significance do your colours hold?

Our colours are purple with a beige sash and a beige cap and when we were choosing, I very much just wanted to keep them simple. I decided on the purple, whilst my husband picked out the beige and it just works well. I can always spot the filly, Flame Of Eire, coming in the distance because her colours really stand out.

When buying a horse, what do you look for?

My husband and I are very happy to leave this part to our sons, they are great advisors and we wouldn’t really head down to the sales ourselves.

As I mentioned previously, it was our son John who purchased the mare Flame Of Hibernia for us, he has a very good eye for bloodstock.

The horses that we have put in training over the years are primarily family-bred. My husband Patrick currently has three flat mares that we are breeding from at our Ballybeg Stud in Co Offaly.

What horses do you currently have in training?

Currently, our three-year-old filly Flame Of Eire is our only horse in training. She was successful in her latest three starts, completing a hat-trick at Limerick, Galway and Bellewstown.

Andrew Slattery plans on running the filly once more this season, with her main target being the Irish Lincolnshire next spring. That’s the plan, that’s my plan, that’s his plan and hopefully it will happen for all of us.

Up until mid-June this year, we also had a three-year-old gelding that was in training with Andrew.

The horse was named Fiach McHugh and was bred by my husband’s son Patrick.

He won a good handicap at the Curragh during Irish Guineas weekend, and was subsequently purchased at the Goffs London Sale by Hong Kong buyers ahead of his run at Royal Ascot. Fian McHugh ran brilliantly in the Britannia Handicap at Ascot, finishing seventh, and was very unlucky not to gain a place.

Have you any young horses to look forward to?

My husband and I currently have two very nice yearlings, an Inns Of Court filly and a Kuroshio colt. The plan is to send them both to Andrew and to get them in training at the start of the new year.

As owner-breeders, we also get great enjoyment from watching the horses that we no longer own but were bred in the family. Our eldest daughter Martha bred the two-year-old filly Queen Of Ours, who recently won a Sligo maiden at the beginning of August for trainer Willie McCreery. The filly looks to be very exciting and were looking forward to following her journey in the future.

What do you do with your racehorses when their racing days are over?

Looking to the future, we would love to retire Flame Of Eire ourselves and have her as a breeding prospect. This is the case for all of our fillies.

The first horse that I mentioned I owned, the gelding Johann Bach, is retired at home with us and is used as a companion horse for some of the youngstock.

What would help to make Irish racing more competitive for the smaller owner/trainer?

The whole family are delighted after hearing the news that an all-weather track is going into Tipperary. It will be a great addition to small owners in the midlands.

What advice would you give to someone thinking of becoming a racehorse owner?

All I can advise them on is what we do. In regards to Flame Of Eire, we asked our son Patrick to break her in for us before sending her off to Ian McCarthy on the Curragh for six weeks. This was to get his expert opinion on the filly.

If we were told that she hadn’t the ability to perform on the track, then we would have taken her home to breed from. We went to the experts and people who we trusted to ensure we weren’t wasting our time nor money. As it happened, Ian told us to take Flame Of Eire home and to give her some time, and in doing so she would make a very nice three-year-old.

My advice to new owners, use the experts available.