How did you get into ownership?

In our case we never got into racehorse ownership; it is a family pastime for generations beyond memory with an occasional good horse to mark the decades as they roll by. There is a wonderful sketch of a point-to-pointer from the 1930s called Rattles together with an inscription “winner of 19 point-to-points” who was always ridden by our mother (Diana Bell) - quite an achievement even by today’s mercurial standards.

And then there was the famous and strangely named Little Horse who, at the age of 14, won two of the featured races at the Punchestown Festival of 1961 and was over 20/1 for both races. I think the Prince Of Wales’s Plate was on the Wednesday and the Conyngham Cup the next day. President Eamon de Valera presented the Conyngham Cup and Little Horse featured on the RTÉ news that evening.

More recently, Surrounding has been flying the flag on the flat with an impressive seven wins in listed and group races, a not inconsiderable achievement from a mare whose mother ran but once to be tailed off in a bumper at Down Royal, 93 lengths behind the winner.

Your parents were always involved in racing?

Yes, on both sides. Our mother, Diana Bell, was one of the leading point-to-point riders of the 1930s and the daughter of Ikey Bell. He was the celebrated MFH of the Galway Blazers and the Kilkenny in Ireland and internationally known for his hound breeding that persists to this day.

Our father Col Willie Newell, who was born in the Inishowen Peninsula, also participated in races as a gentleman rider and I understand was the last person to ride a finish to be second on a horse that started off with a different jockey! He was watching at the second last fence, I believe at Sandown, when the unfortunate jockey was unseated and looked slightly the worse for wear but still had hold of the horse. He shouted, “somebody get up, there is a big prize for second”. The rules allowed for this, provided the new rider could draw the weight and Willie leapt into the saddle to jump the last and collect the place money. Not surprisingly there was a lot of chat about the matter and the authorities in their wisdom subsequently changed the rules to move into the modern age and prevent such traditional sporting episodes.

The other story he used to tell that gives a feeling for racing in those days (and maybe is no different these days)was his journey from somewhere in the vicinity of Belfast to Tralee Races with an indifferent horse. As he describes it: “The horse wasn’t much good, but it was still better than the car. Now the horse was last and I won’t repeat my observations as the car tottered home on the 25th hour after setting off.”

Is there a long tradition of horses at Readsland?

When we arrived at Readsland in the early 1950s there were lots of stories of runners in Grand Nationals, and of German counts who were the previous owners, and of horses who had been hidden in the farthest fields to avoid been conscripted to pull gun carriages during the First World War. There is nobody left alive to verify any of the stories and maybe it is our part to add a few more traditions before new generations take over.

How does Readsland and its traditions survive?

The racing world is certainly changing. We welcome most of these changes and the challenges of trying to win a race in Ireland which must be the most competitive racing in the world today. We would much rather be competing against the incredible standards of the top owners, trainers, and studs. Even an occasional win in this company is an inspiration.

Because it could be quite different, and everyone in the racing world looks on anxiously as ordinary races in Britain struggle to maintain competition, prize money and indeed even numbers of runners in everyday races.

But in Irish racing, everything has to be spot on and then a bit of luck as well if you are going to win: that is exciting.

Who does the work and makes all the decisions?

All of us. And that now includes more recent new blood that all enterprises need to stay vibrant. Sharon, married to Hugh, keeps Hugh up to the mark and never lets him miss a race where we have a runner. Linda Pullman now plays a major role as she understands breeding which is a help. And if you want to know how a decision is arrived at, all I can tell you is that decisions are seldom made, they seem to emerge!

As for the work, that is a bit the same with all family members involved although, like all normal families there are occasional disjoints.

But we are greatly assisted by our small team of Mandy Cooke and Kenny McCrossan, hard-working enthusiasts who seem to live for the next winner and not forgetting Piotr Cichoblazinski who keeps the place looking right and attends to our small flock of intensely irritating Kerry Hill sheep of which we are immensely proud.

Your best day at the races?

We do have a philosophy and it is that the best days are yet to come. That is the hope that keeps us going through the many days of lesser success and no successes. All of our runners are homebred (there seem to be a lot of them) and we are full of confidence as each one is born that this is the one, after the many adventures of youth, is destined to become a superstar. I will say that Surrounding’s trip to Dubai was a highlight for the youngest member of our family, Amy-Anne aged 12. She has clearly said she is prepared at the shortest notice to take time off school to support Surrounding or whichever of our youngsters will be our next runner good enough to return to Meydan and the wonderful Meydan Hotel with its stunning infinity pool on the roof overlooking the panorama of the racecourse far below.

Do you always stick to the same trainers?

No, we have too many horses for that and we try and suit a horse to a trainer. Mind you it is a bit of a lottery as to which trainer gets one that is good enough to win! And for the same reason each young horse can follow different routes into training. We have about four different families. These include an old-fashioned point-to-point family of our mother’s with origins from Miss Prior’s Half-Bred Stud Book who also doubled up as hunters.

And then two families who have the most unlikely source of dams who were Peter’s retired polo ponies from the 1980s; these were thoroughbreds deemed too small for racing but clearly quite well connected as one of them is the grandam of Surrounding.

The National Hunt horses are seldom ready for racing much before four or even five years old. The flat youngsters typically head for pre-training as two-year-olds and often take part at the various practice and trial races at Dundalk to give them and us some idea where we are heading.

At the other end of their careers, or if they are not quite fast enough, we have had great success in finding other disciplines they can move onto depending on their temperaments. Indeed, Mr Cosmopolitan, who won several races for Jim Dreaper but had imperfect breathing, went on to compete successfully at the RDS to be second in the competitive retired racehorse class. Several have headed off to eventing, but naturally the better fillies end up breeding.

Have you young stock coming on?

We certainly do and hopefully one or two will achieve the miracle of a win. Jim and Tom Dreaper have the impossibly tempered Tech Talk who is heading for the banks course at Punchestown and seems to love it provided Keith Donoghue or Luke Dempsey can get him to the start.

And the amazing Surrounding (still in training with Michael Halford at nine and enjoying it) has two nieces by Estidhkaar. Both have had significant setbacks as yearlings but seem on track now. Mark Roper has the four-year-old Estella Bella ready to run in a few weeks and the three-year-old is being taken along carefully in Dick Brabazon’s meticulous pre-training yard.

Peace Party, another one slow to come to hand, is at last on a winning streak for Des McDonogh and likes summer going. Conversely, Sneezy Foster has Dragon’s Pass who loves the heavy going so we are praying for rain for her.

Do you have a favourite Irish track?

Not really. The variety of different courses in Ireland (and Britain) certainly provides for intrigue as different horses suit different tracks. Any track that produces a really good owners’ lunch is always a favourite. As a negative, I wish Wexford would organise to have the winning post at the stands or maybe the stands at the winning post so as you can tell whether you have won or not!

And advice for other prospective owners?

Oh yes, that’s easy. The same encouragement we give all of our jockeys: “Don’t give up”.

Evan Newell was in conversation with Olivia Hamilton