Michael Hourigan: 'The Beef Or Salmon and Dorans Pride days passed me by'

This Q+A with Michael Hourigan was first published in 2021 and has been resurfaced to mark the legendary trainer's retirement

• Irish legend Michael Hourigan - trainer of Beef Or Salmon and Dorans Pride - announces his retirement

What was your big break?

Ten minutes past two at Limerick on St Patrick's Day in 1979 – Ramrajah. That was my first winner as a trainer. I had my licence for six years before I got to the winner's enclosure. It's something I will never, ever forget. He won three on the bounce for me after that, it was like waiting for a bus then they all came at once.

What's been the best piece of advice you received?

Treat every day as it comes. That's all we can ever do.

You enjoyed a magic period with the likes of Dorans Pride and Beef Or Salmon in the 1990s and 2000s. How did you handle the pressure that came with those years?

I would love to get a very good horse like them again because I was so busy working and trying to pay for the place we're in that it all passed me by. It really passed me by. You got up in the morning and did whatever work needed to be done. The whole thing never hit me while I was doing the job as best as I could. The two horses won more than 50 races combined – Beef Or Salmon won ten Grade 1s and Dorans Pride ran every year for ten years. When you think about it now, it was an incredible time. Dorans Pride crossed the line in front 33 times in total; 29 times between Flat races, bumpers, hurdles and chases, three point-to-points and a charity race under Tommy Carberry. They were two brilliant horses to have.

Beef Or Salmon: Paul Carberry tells Best Mate (Jim Culloty) to get a move on in the 2004 Lexus Chase at LeopardstownCredit: Edward Whitaker

Why did Beef Or Salmon not have the same level of success at the Cheltenham Festival as he did on home soil?

He obviously fell on his first try at the Gold Cup and I think that probably didn't do him any good for the following years. It never entered my head at the time, but if I got my chance to do it again I'd have brought him over to Cheltenham for a prep run before the festival. I suppose when he was such a good horse from the time he won the Morris Oil Chase on his first start over fences, and he was beating all the Gold Cup horses through the year, we just kept him at home for races like the Lexus Chase and Hennessy Gold Cup. He beat all the Gold Cup winners from 2002 to 2006 in the build-up to the festival. I probably should have gone down the novice route the first year rather than heading straight into the Gold Cup too, but they're the decisions you have to make. I can remember starting him off in Grade 2 company against older horses for his first chasing start well. I told [journalist] Pat Keane: "I'm going to do something that'd make you think I'm off my head, I'm not going to say what but you're going to question Michael Hourigan big time." Thankfully it worked out.

What has been your finest moment as a trainer?

I'd have to say Tropical Lake winning the Glenlivet Hurdle at Aintree in 1994 and Dorans Pride in the Stayers' Hurdle a year later at Cheltenham. Those two stood out as two big winners in England. To have to travel and do it at that stage was fantastic, it's not the same as it is now. I can still hear the commentary to this day: "Look at Dorans Pride on the outside - he's absolutely cantering." That was brilliant.

What has been your toughest day as a trainer?

That's a very easy one from a horse perspective. Cheltenham in 2003 when Beef Or Salmon fell in the Gold Cup and three-quarters of an hour later Dorans Pride was killed in the Foxhunter Chase. That would probably be the hardest day I've had with horses. All the family were there and it was a big pill to swallow. We came back to Birmingham Airport and people were sympathising with us. It was very hard to hold back the tears, but I had my family coming home with me and that was more important. My mother always told me, 'Once it's outside the door, it'll all be okay', and that was the attitude you had to have after that.

What was your funniest moment on a racecourse?

Many moons ago I was in the bar at Punchestown after racing and some of the Mullins family were there too. Patrick was very young and was asking his mother Jackie for something. He was pulling out of her and Jackie told him, 'Don't be annoying me, go and ask your father'. Before I knew it I had a little young fella pull me by the tail of the coat saying, 'Daddy, daddy' . . . Patrick thought I was Willie! He's 31 years of age and still calls me 'Pop' to this day, I still call him 'Son'. I don't know how he thought that at the time, I was only half the size of Willie. It's good to laugh about it as I rode a winner for Willie's father Paddy back in 1965 at Leopardstown, the last race of the Flat season on Mick McQuaid carrying 7st 6lb.

'Beef Or Salmon won ten Grade 1s and Dorans Pride ran every year for ten years. When you think about it now, it was an incredible time'

What is the biggest challenge facing Irish racing?

Things are lopsided at the moment when it comes to the best horses being distributed among trainers, but that's no different to the way the rest of the world is going over the past couple of decades. You had the small shop in every town doing their own business, but now the bigger companies and supermarkets are dominating that industry. In racing, we used to have plenty of trainers making a nice living, but now the big guns have come in and it's very hard to compete with them at the higher levels any more. It will change again, though. It will take a circle and racing has been very good to me. I'm 60 years at this job and the sport has given me the best years of my life. I don't know why fellas complain about it, if you want to be in racing it's a great way of life.

Outside the day job, what are you good at?

I'm a farmer and that's probably the best answer, farming. I had the cattle haulage with my lorry years ago, transported horses – I've done plenty. I always told my children they should be able to drive the tractor, do the gallops and you won't be dependent on anything or anyone. After I get off the phone I'll be getting back stuck into the cattle again.

What's your favourite TV programme?

There's no contest, I'm a huge fan of Only Fools and Horses. I could act it out for you, I've watched them all so many times. I drive my wife mad, if there's nothing else on television we'll be watching that. End of story.

Doran's Pride (Richard Dunwoody): carried 12st to victory in the 1997 Kerry NationalCredit: Caroline Norris (racingpost.com/photos)

If there was one musician, dead or alive, you could go to see, who would it be?

Joe Dolan was a brilliant entertainer and I'd always have been a fan of what he did. His live shows were extremely popular up and down the country and he was a big loss when he died. A fantastic performer.

Finally, who would be your four ideal dinner party guests?

There'd be a pile of people I could name, some great friends. Enda Bolger, who trains up the road from me here in Limerick, is great to chat to and has to be on the teamsheet whatever happens. Gerry O'Connell, my friendly bank manager, and his wife Margie are good company and there's no way I can leave out my doctor Tom Curtin and his wife Mary. I know that's five people, not four, but they're the best people you could be out with for an evening.

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Irish legend Michael Hourigan - trainer of Beef Or Salmon and Dorans Pride - announces his retirement 

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