Over the last four years, Donnchadh Doyle has established himself as Ireland’s premier young Point-to-Point trainer. We traveled to his well-appointed Monbeg Stables base in Ballindaggin, Enniscorthy, County Wexford to find out more about his exceptional operation.
The battle for the 2014-15 National Handler’s Point-to-Point Championship went right down to the wire before it was confirmed in late May that Wexford neighbours Donnchadh Doyle and Colin Bowe would share the title with 28 wins each. For the former, and his Ballindaggin string, the joint victory represented a maiden success at this level, cementing his status as one of the country’s most progressive Point-to-Point trainers.
Reflecting on the breakthrough national title, Doyle – who in the same week sold Monbeg Notorious and Grey Storm for £175,000 and £100,000 respectively at the Cheltenham Select May Sale – reveals his strong historical ties with the man he shared the title with:
“When I was younger I started off jumping ponies and then jumped a few horses with Colin, who is only three miles up the road. I would have been with him for five years before starting out on my own four years ago.”
For Donnchadh, setting up his own stables represented the fulfilment of a lifelong ambition. “It was something I was always hoping to do,” he confirms. “I started off small and now have 40 stables, which would be full for the whole winter, with the Point-to-Point season running from the first weekend in September into the first weekend of June.”
Going into the current season as defending champion, the Wexford handler is confident of his chances of successfully defending his crown, revealing that he has some good prospects on his hands again this time around, having introduced a fresh batch of three-year-olds in June. “I have a great bunch of horses and I’m optimistic that they will perform well,” he notes. “Having said that, it’s all a bit of luck; if they can stay healthy, that’s half the battle. We’re only really getting going with them here at the minute but I’m hopeful that they will be as good as last year.”
Donnchadh, whose two principal jockeys are local lads Robert James and Barry O’Neill – does most of the work around the stables and yard himself and is ably assisted by his brother Eamon and Andy Pierce, while another one or two helpers generally get involved later in the year as things get busier at Monbeg.
There’s no two ways about it: it’s hard, hard work and you genuinely have to have a real passion for it if you’re going to make a living out of horse training. The bottom line is that this is not a hobby or past-time – it is imperative to not alone make ends meet but to oversee a viable commercial enterprise by turning sufficient profit to keep the wheels turning.
“It is hard work and if you don’t make money you wouldn’t be able to stay going,” Donnchadh concedes, “But it has worked out fairly well for me so far, thankfully. I’ve had a few nice horses that have sold well and that money has been invested back into the business and has enabled us to grow.”
In conjunction with brothers Eamon and Sean, Donnchadh owns most of the horses himself, buying at Goffs and Tattersalls. “There’s a lot of money tied up in it and the trainer has a lot of expenses, too,” he admits. “Point-to Pointing has also become very competitive for young horses, with a lot of people at it now. The prize money is small as well – a pot of €1,000 and a first prize of €560 – so it’s really a case of putting them in the shop window. If you’re looking to make a quick buck, then this is definitely the wrong business.”
One former Monbeg Stables protégé that has gone on to bigger and better things is Jonjo O’Neill’s Holywell, who has since won at Cheltenham (twice) and Aintree and contested this year’s Cheltenham Gold Cup, while big things are also predicted for the now Willie Mullins trained Pile on the Pressure. Meanwhile, 2012 Welsh Grand National winner Monbeg Dude was owned by Eamon Doyle and trained by Donnchadh when he was still working for Colin Bowe.
One thing that is indisputable is that the young prospects at Monbeg benefit from an excellent grounding in the world of horseracing as Donnchadh oversees outstanding facilities including 40 stables, a horse walker, sand ring and a four-furlong gallop.
Point-to-Point racing – regarded as the lifeblood of the Irish National Hunt industry – takes Donnchadh Doyle the length and breadth of the island. “We travel all over,” he says. “I’d go up North most Saturdays and then on Sundays we’d go to meetings all over the rest of Ireland.
“We’re busy all year around,” the personable Wexford handler concludes. “As soon as the Point-to-Point finishes, you start into the sales in June and then you are breaking them in and getting them ready for a new season. There’s always plenty to be doing and I wouldn’t have it any other way.”
Monbeg Stables
Ballindoggin
Enniscorthy
Co. Wexford
Taken from Irish Tractor & Agri magazine Vol 3 No 10, November 2015
