Irish racing takes on crucial battle to attract and keep owners

Damian English still shakes his head in disbelief as he recalls going to the Tattersalls Autumn Horses in Training Sale in 2015 with a budget big enough to buy the equine equivalent of a barely roadworthy Ford Mondeo, but somehow coming away with a horse who was hiding a Mercedes engine under the bonnet.

"The 800 wonder is what we call him at home," says English about Geological, who, you guessed it, cost just 800gns and runs for Grougha Stables Limited. "When they cost that much, you expect them to be missing a leg or something but we took a chance on him and he has been a real star for us.

“We don’t go to the sales with big money, so when you come across a horse like him, who has now won five times for us and been placed in some valuable races, it’s just unbelievable. He races in our own colours but we've since got a couple of outside owners into the yard.”