Prominent owner Barry Connell has first runners as a trainer at Cork

Cheltenham and multiple Grade 1-winning owner Barry Connell sends out his first official runners since taking out his trainer's licence at Cork on Friday.

Connell, who has owned top-notchers Our Conor, Martello Tower, The Tullow Tank, Shinrock Paddy and Mount Benbulben, has changed his modus operandi in recent years.

Having had horses in training with many of the top trainers, including Gordon Elliott, Tony Martin and Denis Hogan, Connell employed his own in-house trainer Alan Fleming from 2015 until the pair went their separate ways last year.

Connell had enlisted the help of licensed trainer Keith Clarke, who took over from Fleming on an interim basis at his new purpose built Boherbaun Stables in Nurney, County Kildare, until he was recently granted his licence.

Surmise, who runs in the 2m maiden hurdle (4.40) and Barwell, declared for the 2m handicap hurdle on the card (5.15), will be Connell's first runners as an official trainer.

Speaking about their chances, he said: "I bought Surmise off Paddy Twomey. He had a nice run in a bumper and I haven't done a huge amount with him but this seems a nice place to start him off. It doesn't look the strongest of races so I'd be hopeful of a good run.”

He added: “Barwell got a very bad cut at Wexford when he put his foot through the second last hurdle and tore the skin off his hind leg. That put him out for about a year. He probably got a high enough mark for that and has had a couple of spins in handicaps and is back down to 120. I'm hoping that he'll be competitive.”

A former amateur rider, Connell has had horses in training since 1993. Between 2010 and 2018 he recorded double figure winners domestically with his greatest tally of 32 winners recorded in the 2015-16 season.

Barry Connell and Denis O'Regan debriefing after Grade 1 winner Martello Tower landed a beginners' chase at Fairyhouse in 2016Credit: Patrick McCann

On the decision to go out on his own, Connell said: "It has probably taken a little bit longer to get set up than I initially thought it might but hopefully it's the start of what will be a good operation. I think we have assembled a nice bunch of horses and, importantly, a good bunch of staff, so I'm very happy with how the operation is shaping up.”

He added: “We have seven or eight horses for the summer and have brought the winter horses in so hopefully there are a few nice ones there. I have been involved in racing for a long time. I spent ten years riding as an amateur, had horses in training with many of the bigger yards in Ireland and England, and have picked up things from various operations as I went along.

"We have no excuses, between the facilities and the quality of the staff we have, so we hope it will be successful. We don't expect to have a huge amount of runners between now and the autumn. We have the couple on Friday and have three or four for Galway.”

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