How did you get into racehorse ownership?

We have always had a big interest in horses over the years.

At a very early age, my late father brought us racing every Saturday to courses like Baldoyle, Phoenix Park and Mullingar. Who remembers them? In the early 1980s, my brother Norman, a former apprentice with Seamus McGrath, obtained a trainers licence and set up in Summerhill, Co Meath. We bought a few horses and the first of them, Field Engineer, won three handicap hurdles at Tramore, Tipperary and Tralee (another course that bites the dust).

What was your best day at the races and why?

Every time your horse wins is a great day. However, there are two occasions that spring to mind as the standout days for us.

The first was Pencilhimin winning the Grade C Proudstown Hurdle at Navan in 2016. The whole family were there, including our eldest grandchild, Emily. On a horrible, miserable, wet day, we roared him home!

The second memorable day was more recently when Beautiful Chaos won at Killarney at the beginning of this month. It was just special. The filly is the first winner we have bred after 150 years of us trying! She is out of our good mare Asiya, who won three handicaps for us.

What is the biggest drawback about being a racehorse owner?

I would have to say the expense, with all the training fees, veterinary care and farriers, etc. However, apart from these factors making it an expensive hobby, there are very few negatives in my opinion and owning horses can be very enjoyable.

In your experience, which racecourse in Ireland treats owners the best and why?

In recent years, amenity standards of all racecourses have greatly improved .

We have found that Sligo, Ballinrobe and Killarney treat owners very well. They always provide a nice meal and more importantly they know how to look after you if you have a winner!

Flat or jump racing, which do you prefer and why?

Over the years we have had runners in both codes, but for me, National Hunt is more exciting.

I find the Leopardstown Festival at Christmas and both the Fairyhouse and Punchestown Festivals later on in the season far more enjoyable to watch than a five-furlong sprint running straight at you up the Curragh.

My daughter Juliana would disagree with me entirely here. She prefers the less nerve-wracking nature of the flat and five-furlong sprints are her favourite races! She would love to see our colours in a five-furlong race at the Curragh. Different strokes for different folks, I guess.

What qualities do you look for in a trainer?

Honesty and clear communication are my top trainer attributes. When I look for a trainer, I look for someone who I can relate to and one who communicates truthfully when the horses have a problem.

All trainers nowadays are very capable horsemen who know their job. Our trainer, Ross O’Sullivan, has a lovely purpose-built establishment in Kill, and we value his attention to detail. He always ensures that your horse is performing to the best of their potential.

What improvements would you like to see racecourses in Ireland do for owners?

I think most racecourses do their best for owners, they offer them designated car parks, comfortable facilities in the owner and trainers bar and a complimentary drink when you have a winner. You can’t ask for much more.

How do you think the current crisis will impact on racing in general and on ownership in particular?

Looking at last week’s sales results, you wouldn’t think that there was a current cost-of-living crisis! The way things are going generally, racing is unfortunately bound to take a hit.

Trainers will have to increase their fees, which could result in some current owners having to leave the game.

What can trainers or HRI do to encourage owners to keep horses in training at the moment?

To keep as many small owners as possible in the game, HRI should make it less expensive to enter a horse for a race.

They should charge 0.5% instead of 1%, as they do in the UK. Racecourses should pay the entry fees of runners who finish outside the first six in lower graded races, appearance money.

Every little helps! I wonder who decided that the racecourses get full whack of the media rights anyway.

What significance do your colours hold?

Our colours are royal blue, pink chevrons and blue cap. Keeping it in the family here, blue for the boys and pink for the girls.

When buying a horse, what do you look for?

As I am not an expert on the finer points of horses, I leave the inspections to my brother Norman. If the horse has good conformation, a lovely head and it’s a good walker, then I would forgive a light pedigree, it wouldn’t put me off.

What horses do you currently have in training?

We have a filly, Beautiful Chaos, in training with Ross O’Sullivan at the moment, as well as a four-year-old gelding in pre-training who we hope will run in point-to-points later on in the year.

What’s next on the agenda for your horses?

We will run Beautiful Chaos in a handicap before the flat season ends. There are a few races over a mile and a half that might suit her.

We’re hopeful that the pointer will run before Christmas in a four-year-old maiden.

Have you any young horses to look forward to?

We have a three-year-old filly by Kingston Hill who is set to go point-to-pointing in the new year.

We additionally have a yearling filly and a filly foal, both by Kuroshio, who are half-sisters to Beautiful Chaos.

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

We always find a suitable home for our retired horses. The Irish Horse Welfare Trust in Wicklow has helped us rehome horses in the past.

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

Irish racing is so competitive at the moment, smaller owners and trainers are fighting a losing battle. Lower graded horses are finding it hard to even get a run, with so many being balloted out on a regular basis.

HRI could help out here by introducing a 35-50 rating band. With the cost of feed, fuel rising and the lack of suitable stable staff, some small trainers won’t survive.

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

If you want to make a fortune smaller, go for it! All joking aside, owning racehorses gives you a great buzz and great excitement. It’s brilliant to be able to walk into the parade ring with your trainer.

As you would expect, there are plenty of highs and lows, and you need a heart of stone at times! From expecting great runs and wins, to watching your horse being tailed off, it’s all part and parcel of owning a racehorse!

All round it is great fun and a fantastic sport to be involved with.

The Cassidy family were in conversation with Sophie Mellett