McConnell looking forward to Open Morning

John McConnell is hoping to give the public a better insight into the lives of racehorses when he takes part in the Horse Racing Ireland Open Morning on Saturday May 18th.

The Stamullen based handler has enjoyed a couple of high profile successes lately and will be parading stable-stars Go Another One and Pearl Of The West for the visitors to his yard.

McConnell is keen to showcase the high standard of care that horses enjoy in racing yards and help educate the public on what goes on behind the scenes.

“It's a good initiative by HRI and plenty of trainers have got involved,” said McConnell.

“It's our first time having that sort of thing so we don't know what to expect but the numbers that have registered at the minute are good and if half the people turn up we'll be happy.

“Hopefully we have a nice day and nice weather for it. We're going to parade some of the better horses, do some exercise and maybe have a farrier there as well.

“When we have owners coming in they really enjoy it and they can get up close and personal with the horses.

“We've a good young interactive staff that are fun to be around as well. I think anybody who comes will enjoy it and they'll be able to pat the horses and get very close to them on the gallops.

“I'd just be happy if we get nice weather, have people come and enjoy themselves and learn a bit about us and about racing.

“If anything comes out of it, in terms of ownership, great but for me that's not really what it's about. It's about creating awareness.”

McConnell enjoyed a terrific end to the last jumps season with Pearl Of The West winning a valuable handicap hurdle at Punchestown and Go Another One successful in a Listed hurdle over in Perth.

He added:- “These flagship horses like Pearl Of The West and Go Another One make things easier. They are pretty decent horses and people recognise that, so they are better than 10 ordinary winners.

“They are all different. Pearl Of The West is a sweet-heart while Go Another One is a different personality and some of the other ones might not be as cuddly.

“It's great to get to know them. Obviously I know them really well now and this will also show people how well they are treated as well.

“Obviously welfare is a big thing these days and I don't think people really know how well these horse are treated

“It will definitely give an insight into what we do every day and how dedicated the staff at.”

One of the main aims of the morning for McConnell is to bring in local people and get them involved in the setup:-

“Where we are we are kind of in the middle of nowhere but at the same time we're close to everywhere.

“We're between Drogheda and Ashbourne as the crow flies, about 15 minutes from each. We are 15 minutes from Balbriggan and about 20 from Navan. We're kind of in between the N1 and N2.

“It's actually very easy to get to, once you have the Eircode that'll take you right to the door.

“We're near the beach and it's great for freshening up horses, especially the likes of Pearl Of The West and Go Another One after races.

“Bringing them to the beach is great for their legs and the salt water is great if they have any nicks or anything.

“We use that a lot and we have a very good gallop beside us, called the Daw gallop, for fast work. We have plenty of facilities.

“It's nice, especially for local people, to be aware that there is a racing yard here.”

Details on how to register for the Open Morning can be found at: www.racehorseownership.ie