'I was more concerned with news in the Racing Post and Irish racing results than school'

Where did your interest in racing and bloodstock come from – is there a family link or did you just get into it yourself?

I’m from Clonmel and from a young age I've had a strong interest in the sport. I didn’t have a whole lot of interest in school and was more concerned with news in the Racing Post and Irish racing results. My mam and dad were regular racegoers and that’s how I was exposed to the sport. I loved point-to-points growing up, and fixtures on the Cork/Waterford circuit were the weekend highlight. The opportunity to get up so close to the action ignited a strong interest. 

My father was a primary school teacher, but started an on-course bookmaking business in the late 90s. As my dad bought more racecourse pitches, it meant I had a purpose going racing. However, my younger brother always had more of an aptitude for odds and probability. I’m not a gambler, which some people find strange. 

Did you find the BHA Graduate Development Programme a good springboard into the industry, and who was your placement with?

At the time it was a real eye-opener to experience all the different facets of the industry. The programme is an excellent gateway for people who don’t have strong industry connections. It also provides a good network, and the BHA are good at encouraging past graduate participation at industry events through the calendar. 

My placement was with Coral in Barking. The horseracing desk was comprised of odds compilers with vast knowledge and their team were like walking form books. I didn’t fully appreciate the opportunity at the time, but the graduate role was at the coalface of one of the UK’s largest betting companies. Since then the gambling landscape has changed so much with digital technology. Their product and marketing strategies are focused on growing their online presence. The skill and knowledge required to compile racing odds has been replaced by technology. 

Tell us about your past work experience . . .

After the BHA graduate programme, I spent 12 months in Leeds at Sportslive Radio. Sportslive was part of BSkyB group at the time, and was an internet radio station, which was syndicated out to all the major bookmakers’ websites. It was before the emergence of live streaming on websites, and it provided a good learning curve in terms of broadcasting in a live studio environment. Tim Thornton, the current Sky Sports News football reporter, was my boss at the time and we worked closely with the Sporting Life team. 

I did miss the Irish racing scene while in the UK and decided to return to Ireland to join BoyleSports as part of their retail broadcasting team. I spent ten years with BoyleSports, before moving onto Bar One Racing, where my role was divided between retail broadcasting, PR and managing their sponsorship portfolio. Retail broadcasting is all about enhancing the retail experience. It’s live studio broadcasting, but also involves combining different elements of the brand including ambassadors, trading updates and marketing promotions.

Barney O'Hare of Bar One Racing (second from right): 'investment and commitment to Irish racing has been phenomenal' Credit: CAROLINE NORRIS

Bar One Racing’s sponsorship portfolio has grown considerably in recent years and it was a great source of satisfaction to work on high-profile events such as the Fairyhouse Winter Festival and the Troytown at Navan. Barney O’Hare’s investment and commitment to Irish racing has been phenomenal. It’s tough for a medium-sized betting operator against the powerful corporates, but he’s first and foremost a racing fan, and I think people recognise and appreciate that. 

I’ve combined my full-time roles with freelance work as a racecourse MC. I’m based in Blackrock, just outside Dundalk, so most of my winter Friday nights over the last ten years have been spent all-weather racing. I enjoy the interactive element of the racecourse work, and it takes you out of the office and allows you to meet people at the heart of the sport. I spent four years as MC at Cork, while I also fill the role at Naas and Down Royal when the time allows. 

Are you hoping to utilise your recently completed Masters degree in Digital Marketing Practice in your new role?

With all academic learning, certain elements will be more relevant and readily applicable. The role of marketing and communications has evolved, and it’s no longer enough for the role to be solely transaction focused. Obviously, if you don’t sell, you don’t remain in business, but client expectations are changing. It’s about two-way communication, and technology has improved how brands interact with customers and clients. Service dimensions such as responsiveness, interactivity, and assurance improve brand feeling. 

Storytelling and emotional marketing are tools already being well used by the Tattersalls Ireland team. There are some great consignor and purchaser stories from the sales ring, and the aim would be to bring more of them to the public. I’d also like to delve more behind the scenes. The role of the bloodstock team, our auctioneers and how they prepare, our groundstaff in ensuring the site is sales-ready. There’s a sort of mystique around sales day and I always think behind-the-scenes content work well. People want content that is digestible in short form. 

Tools such as conversational marketing are being utilised by brands in other industries, where it’s a case of targeting audiences on their terms. Loyalty schemes are becoming very prominent across industries. My master’s dissertation investigated the main drivers of loyalty in the gambling industry. It found that within the recreational customer base, personalisation is a key driving force with loyalty. If customers are receiving offers that reflect their past behaviour, there is a strong probability they will remain loyal. Within the retail space, brands have used loyalty to almost force customers to digitally adapt. 

Bidding at Tattersalls Ireland - McDonnell hopes buyers appreciate efforts to compile 'strong, quality catalogues'Credit: www.healyracing.ie

Bloodstock investment necessitates more high involvement decision-making, but putting incentives in place, to ensure the brand is front of mind when the next stage of the sales cycle is taking place, is important. The Tattersalls Ireland product is a well-oiled machine, and purchasers have confidence our bloodstock team will formulate strong, quality catalogues. As a marketing team, it’s our job to find creative ways of stimulating desire for that product. 

What excitement does 2024 have in store for Tattersalls Ireland?

Our first sale will be the February National Hunt sale, and that will roll into our Grade 1 sponsorship at the Dublin Racing Festival. From a brand perspective, that visibility and association with Ireland’s premier National Hunt festival is important. Premium sponsorships provide business opportunities to meet clients and build or establish new relationships. 

The Derby Sale is positioned as Ireland’s premier store sale, and it’s hoped our approach will reflect that. It’s the 50th anniversary of the Derby Sale and there’s already high demand from consignors, with nominations set to close early in the new year. We’ll reveal more details soon on how we intend to mark the 50th anniversary.

A sale is best judged on graduate success and the Derby Sale roll of honour is mind-blowing. Gerri Colombe, Energumene, Jonbon, and Honeysuckle are just a small number of illustrious Grade 1 winners that have been purchased at Tattersalls Ireland. My colleagues Mary Lanigan, Niamh Spiller and Shirley Anderson-Jolag are keen to deliver a unique Derby Sale experience for those at Fairyhouse in June. I’ve heard murmurings of what’s planned, but we’ll have to wait in anticipation for the finer details. 

2024 an important year for the Derby Sale with its 50th anniversaryCredit: www.healyracing.ie

The Breeze-Up and September Yearling Sales were big successes in 2023 and it’s hoped to continue that upward trajectory. The breeze-up saw a record 18 lots sold for over €100,000 and turnover was up 29 per cent. There was a strong international presence, with 16 different nations featuring on the list of buyers. These statistics make a sale easier to sell, instils confidence in consignors and builds anticipation. The 2022 September Yearling Sale produced more two-year-old winners than any other European sale, which resulted in a record median in 2023. Hopefully, the 2024 graduates can produce similar results and stimulate interest and demand in our yearling product. 

Do you have a personal preference when it comes to sale type - yearlings, breeze-up, store or breeding stock?

I’ve always taken an interest in store sales and watching the demand for the progeny of some of the high-class mares. The store sale market is very competitive and recent results at the Tattersalls Cheltenham Sale illustrate that Irish point-to-point form is held in high regard. Brighterdaysahead was the top lot at the 2022 Derby Sale and appears to have the talent to match. Hopefully, she’ll be one of many flagbearer for the sale through the spring festivals. I can already feel the satisfaction in watching talented store sale graduates like Slade Steel and Shanagh Bob making their mark at Graded level.

Winner Inch House (left) leads Killer Kane over the last at Newbury - our man McDonnell is a fanCredit: Edward Whitaker

Do you have a favourite sire and/or racehorse, past or present?

I’m a huge fan of our May Store Sale graduate Inch House. He’s a young chaser with a big future and I’m sure there’s a big prize in him down the line. He was a €9,000 purchase in May 2020 by Sam Curling, and was bought subsequently at the Cheltenham Sale for £125,000. More obvious horses are Corbett’s Cross and our Derby Sale graduate Firefox. They’ll be players in Grade 1 company through the second half of the season.

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