Spotlight On | Turlough O’Connor
Age: 28
Location: Newmarket, Co. Cork.
It certainly was a day to remember for Cork native Turlough O’Connor, who enjoyed his first career double as both a rider and a handler at Dromahane on the 30th December.
O’Connor’s opening victory came courtesy of Lady Shirocco in the four-year-old mares maiden and he was credited with his second success of the afternoon in the five-year-old and upwards adjacent maiden when Well Chimed recorded a promising six-length victory.
The 28-year-old currently has 16 horses in training and is looking forward to the spring season where he hopes to achieve more success between-the-flags.
You must have been delighted with your first ever career double on Sunday?
I was over the moon, it’s hard to get one winner, so when I had the double it was great and being at a local track made it all the better.
Were you expecting both horses to win?
Lady Shirocco, who won the four-year-old mares’ maiden is a very nice mare and had been working well at home, she is one of the most exciting mares I have trained and is very tough, so I knew that she had every chance of winning on the day.
Well Chimed, who won the five-year-old adjacent maiden I was expecting him to run well and I fancied him quite a bit.
What’s the plan with Lady Shirocco after her win?
Lady Shirocco (pictured below) is entered in the Tattersalls Cheltenham sale which takes place on the 25th of January. She’s in flying form after her run, she definitely knew she had won because the next day she was buzzing, she came out of the race 100%, she could have run the next day, so I am looking forward to heading over to the sales with her where hopefully there will be a good bit of interest in her.
What’s the plan with Well Chimed after his win?
Well Chimed is owned by my Aunt Irene Walsh and the plan now is to run him in a winners of one race. We are aiming for the Nenagh fixture in February so hopefully, things will go to plan and he will be back out for that fixture.
Are you from a racing background?
My grandfather Ben Walsh always kept a couple of racehorses at home and my uncle Niall Walsh trained for a couple of years and had a few winners, so that’s where my interest in racing grew from.
When I was about 16, I started off in pony racing and I used to ride for Ernst Tyner quite a bit. I also used to do quite a bit of hunting, so the interest had always been there from quite a young age.
Did you always hold aspirations of training?
I had my first point-to-point runner back in 2007 and in 2014 I got out my restricted trainers license for the track. I never really had much interest in doing anything else, I still ride but If you asked me in the morning which one, I had to choose, I definitely would pick training. I enjoy riding and get a great kick out of it so I will try and do both for as long as I can.
How many horses do you have in training?
I have always had a couple of horses in training over the years, but it’s only been in recent times that I have really increased my numbers and I have about 16 in training at the moment. I have six four-year-olds for the spring and a couple of lightweights for a bit of fun. It’s mainly point-to-pointers that I have in training and anything that’s not being sold from a point-to-point will then be aimed to run on the track.
Where are you based?
I am based in my own yard in Newmarket Co. Cork. I have a six-furlong woodchip hill gallop and a two-furlong circle sand gallop, along with my own schooling facilities. I bring the horses away to Dromahane, Glencairn and schooling races at Tipperary.
Can you tell me about one horse in particular that you enjoyed training?
I had a horse called Harry The Lemmon and he was a horse I really enjoyed training. I bought him over in England at the Doncaster sale for €1,200 and at the time he had leg trouble, but I brought him on and afterwards he won a point-to-point at Kildorrery and then went onto win the hunters chase at Cork back in 2016.
Can you tell me about your first winner?
I rode my first winner for Eugene O’Sullivan at the Tattersalls Farm point-to-point back in 2009 on a horse called Loup Charter and he was owned by Trevor Hemmings.
Where is your favorite track to go to in point-to-points?
Askeaton would have been one of my favourite tracks to go to in the past, but now that’s gone I would have to say that Ballindenisk is a favourite of mine because there are four nice fences coming up the hill, so if you have a horse that’s not easy to jump, it helps with getting him around and it’s also a fair track.
Give us a horse to watch out for?
I have a nice Flemensfirth filly that looks very promising, she is yet to be named but hopefully, she will run in March.
What’s the plan for the rest of the season?
I would love to notch up another few winners in the spring, in particular, a four-year-old winner. A winner on the track would also be a huge bonus.
Who has been your biggest influence in racing?
My uncle Niall Walsh as I would have started off training with him and also my Aunt Irene and her husband Fergus O’Connor, they have played a huge part in my career.
Do you do any sport outside of racing?
I used to play a bit of hurling and football but unfortunately, with the horses, I don’t have much time anymore.
