New Dawn For O'Donoghue Racing

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00:00The historic Curragh Beg Stables on the Curragh has been home to many champions over the years,

00:06including the likes of See the Stars, and now John and Jodie O'Donoghue are calling

00:10the training facility their home, with John Knox having announced his retirement. John,

00:15a native of Cork in Ireland, has spent many years under successful trainers, and as he

00:20and Jodie prepare for their first flat season as O'Donoghue Racing, they speak to us more

00:25about their training business.

00:56I worked in partnerships for the Jockey Club, and I was based in Newmarket, so obviously

01:00being at a race course every day is very different to being in a yard, but I do have a background

01:06in racing and have worked in yards, so it's quite nice to be back doing this for ourselves.

01:12This is kind of my thought of things here in the office. I do do a bit out in the yard

01:16in the mornings, which I very much enjoy, the best of both worlds really.

01:21I think we were a little bit biased coming home and wanting to be at home and training

01:25here, but one of the biggest positives was the Curragh, and the fact that there was this

01:33yard availability, and with all the redevelopment, the grandstand and the training grounds, it

01:40was just the perfect place to try and launch, and thankfully we've gotten some good traction

01:44and we're up and running.

01:47We've worked very hard trying to get out and meet people, and we've travelled around the

01:51world trying to do that, and we've been delighted with the owners we've been able to bring into

01:56the place. We've been very surprised with the people who've got in touch and sent us

02:03some horses. We've got huge quality, but given that it's a new venture, and sort of when

02:09you hit the sales, it's more yearlings that we've picked up, so we've got about 22-year-olds

02:15and only a handful of older horses.

02:18The welcome has been absolutely fantastic. From the Ox family to the Curragh, it was

02:23immense, so trying to decide to come back to Ireland was quite an easy one actually,

02:27because I suppose it's where our heart is, the industry is quite good here, and I suppose

02:33it's just where we wanted to be really. We did consider some other jurisdictions, but

02:37I think Ireland was where we always saw ourselves going back to. The Ox family were fantastic

02:42in welcoming us back. They've been a great help in us setting up the yard. Curragh were

02:48a fantastic support, especially during COVID, trying to come back and set up. So it's been

02:54a really, really good welcome, so I can't thank everybody enough that has been there

02:59to support us along the way, and of course to all of our owners who it wouldn't be possible

03:03without, and some really good staff. So yes, it's exciting, and I'm looking forward to

03:08rolling with the season now, getting started.

03:10I had spent a little bit of time here when I was a teenager, and always stayed in touch

03:16with Mr. Ox and Mrs. Ox, and when he announced his retirement, we were sort of looking at

03:23starting ourselves, and it was never something that we considered that we'd be able to start

03:28here, and I suppose luck really, and what's for you doesn't pass you, and it all just

03:38worked out. So Mr. Ox trained very successfully here for years. I don't think we need to mention

03:46any of the horses, they speak for themselves, so we're just delighted to be here. We've

03:50got everything we need, everything we want, and hopefully we can get some winners.

04:08you