John McConnell I will always remember one very good trainer saying “I’m an overnight success after 25 years” so things don’t happen overnight for most trainers so like everyone I’m striving to get to the next level. Thankfully the horses are running well at the moment and while we haven’t run a huge pile, anything we’ve thought would run well has and it was nice to get another double at Fairyhouse last week. We’ve a nice bunch of horses and we’ve got a good system at home now which I believe in and I think it works well and the main thing to do is to keep them healthy. Last year we had some good success going across the water and I think you have to do that with a certain type of horse. At the lower grade there is just so many opportunities in the Britain and in some cases you can find easier races because if you run in a low grade in Ireland you are going to be running up against a full field, whereas sometimes you could get an eight runner race over there. Obviously the prize money isn’t as good but it’s not as bad as it used to be. I’ve been saying for a long time here that we could fill an entire card with low grade races at Dundalk even if we cut the usual prize money in half. I think if lads were getting €4,000 for winning with a horse rated in the 50’s they’d be happy rather than just trying and trying to get a run in a race over here. I think when you own a horse rated 50 or 60 it is all about getting a win. People do notice you getting winners across the water and I’ve had plenty of positive comments from good breeders and reading an article with Ken Condon the other day I couldn’t agree more with him that the dream would be to have more breeders who would then be able to give you access to well-bred families. I was delighted for Ken winning the Guineas last month. He has always been somebody that I respected and he does it right. It does prove that you don’t have to be one of the big guns to enjoy days like that and that is certainly encouraging. Getting a good horse in the yard is what it is all about but I suppose we’ve been in a position where we’ve had to sell nearly the best of what we had to keep the show on the road and then restock but it is just about trying to find that balance. Ger Lyons is another trainer that you have to look up to. He is the real gold standard for what we are trying to do, buying the yearlings and trying to win maidens or get black type horses and move them on. Ger is absolutely brilliant at that and he has now moved on to the next level and his results speak for themselves. We’d also have a mix here of Flat, National Hunt and dual purpose horses. I can see the school of thought on just concentrating on one or the other but then you just have to look at Jessica Harrington and how well she can combine both brilliantly. I like both codes, the jump game is a tougher game as it is harder on the horses but also now probably gone more competitive. Be it a flat or jump horse I have never doubted my own ability. I have full belief in myself to be able to train winners as well as the next man but it is just about getting that grade of horse that can put you in the shop window. I qualified as a vet and worked at that for about seven years but training is something I always wanted to do because I just loved the horses and that hasn’t changed. Growing up next to Michael O’Brien I always took a great interest in them and I just always wanted to do it. We started with a couple and had reasonable success so it then came the time when I had to decide if I was going to be a vet or a trainer and there was no doubt in my mind that I wanted to be a trainer. Unfortunately my career change coincided with the recession but we survived and we are up to 50 horses now and living my dream. It is very tough. It really is. I love the horses but it is a confidence sapping game, you are up one minute and down the next. I do take the defeats poorly, I don’t enjoy them, and maybe I don’t then enjoy the winners as much as I should, but being a trainer is also about dealing with owners and staff and I wouldn’t swap it. We had 18 winners last year and I want to better that this year but ultimately the aim is to do the best with each horse I get my hands on and keep the owners satisfied. I’m not at the stage yet where I can say I want to win this race or that race but hopefully we’ll get there. I do have belief in what we are doing and we’ll keep looking for that one real good horse.
