Andy Slattery: ‘It has gone very good for us again and we’re not finished yet’ Enjoying his best season ever, Andy Slattery and family run a successful training operation and the winners keep flowing under both codes. Based in Killenaule in county Tipperary, Slattery has extended his string to over 100 horses these days and continues an upward trajectory. “We had a good season last year and the year before and it has gone very good for us again and we’re not finished yet,” says dual-purpose trainer Slattery who sent out Loughrea to slam his 16 rivals in the Irish Cambridgeshire under his son Andrew and last April saddled Fleur In The Park to win a Grade 1 over fences. Both are likely to reappear this weekend according to their trainer with Fleur In The Park, one of seven entries in Saturday’s PWC Danoli Chase at Gowran Park and Loughrea earmarked for the Curragh 24 hours later. “Loughrea is in good shape and he’ll step into Listed company and run in the Concorde Stakes on Sunday. Fleur In The Park will run in the Champion Chase at Gowran if the ground is safe.” Winner of the Fairyhouse Gold Cup at odds of 22/1 last April when supplying Slattery and jockey Cian Quirke with their first Grade 1 win Fleur In The Park ran second later that month behind Western Fold in the Grade 1 Champion Novices’ Chase at Punchestown. With the likes of the Clonmel Oil Chase or the BetVictor Champion Chase at Down Royal on the horizon after his seasonal reappearance, Slattery is excited talking about the Padraig and Margaret O’Rourke-owned gelding. “To have a jumper like that in the yard is great for everyone around the place and for Cian (Quirke) who has been with us for five or six years it was fantastic for him and his owners Padraig and Margaret. We bought this horse as a foal and then Padraig came on board and he won his bumper for him shortly after.” “We always felt he was a Grade 1 horse and he’s bred for stamina” Slattery has had plenty of subsequent Grade 1 winners go through his hands with Faugheen the standout and he always believed in Fleur In The Park. “We always felt he was a Grade 1 horse and he’s bred for stamina. We always thought he’d be better over a fence and he’s a lovely jumper, always loved jumping fences.” Slattery’s main focus is on the flat these days but he still keeps his eye in with the jumpers. “We have nice jumpers, maybe around 15, and we don’t generally keep them if we don’t think they can win a race.” Currently using the yard of the late Edward O’Grady for his battalion of inmates where he started working at the age of 14 Slattery retired from riding after bagging ‘around 25 winners’ when his weight got the better of him. He has been training since 1997. “It's a family business with brothers’ Brian and Willie a big help to the overall operation and Francis too who does all the travelling. “I have the use Edward O’Grady’s stables at the moment and we’re very busy as there's always someone looking for us to take a horse. We have over a hundred now. “That's our highest ever and I just said I’d increase the number this year because I have that yard for a while. “We don't have any bother getting staff and we have good staff which is so important to the operation.” Keeping on top of things from a business perspective is critical, according to Slattery who rounded off Listowel last week with his third winner at the Harvest Festival when Iron Sword landed the winners’ bumper. Ebony King and Lauderdale King had both scored earlier in the week. “If you didn't pay your bills and keep everything right from month to month, things will get on top of you. The hardest part for me is just keeping on top of things. “You could see how lads have gone out of business. To keep our yard running, costs are in the region of €60,000 a month. You know, you might owe twenty thousand one month, that'll turn into forty the next if you don’t keep on top of things so it’s easy with so much going on to leave things like that but that’s why lads can run into trouble. “So just keep on top of your bills is the key.” Getting paid is something that Slattery says is ‘all good’. “I have a bunch of top-class owners and they all seem to pay well so I have to say I’ve no issue with that.” The new Tipperary all-weather track due to open on October 23rd next year with nine fixtures pencilled in for 2027 is something Slattery, who trains 40 minutes away, is looking forward to it. “It’ll be a great addition, and I’ve had local people already asking to get involved in horses to form syndicates for it, just to have a few nights out in Tipperary. These are people who’ve never been involved in horses before looking at setting up syndicates so that can only be good.” “I have a few nice two-year-olds including a Starman filly called Sussex Star” Looking closer to the future what new potential star has Slattery under wraps for the back end of the season. “I have a few nice two-year-olds including a Starman filly called Sussex Star,” says Slattery. “I think a good bit of her.” “We ran two nice horses at the Curragh in the Tattersalls Auction race last month and the fourth The Windhover is not your average two-year-old. He's a big, big scopey horse so we’re looking forward to running him and September Duke who ran well also in sixth. “Watching those two in the ring the other day they were two of the biggest horses walking around. We buy them hoping that they can train on into three and four-year olds.” The Windhover is among the 24 entries for the 7f maiden (1.55) at the Curragh this Sunday. “There's a bunch that haven't run yet so we’ll get some out in the next few weeks but a lot of them are more three-year-olds.” Andy Slattery has come a long way since he saddled Shaws Cross to land the Dunmore Hunters Chase under Paul Molony in March 1997 and it's a case of onwards and upwards for him.
