Image © Healy Racing
Alan Doyle only sent out his first runners at Loughanmore in April, but he already has an American stakes winner among his graduates following Max Attack’s success on the American Grand National card at Far Hills on Saturday.
The four-year-old, who was placed on both his point-to-point outings for Doyle last spring, made a winning American debut at Shawan Downs on September 26, beating Iconic Walk by a nose under Freddie Procter.
The pair followed up in considerably more comfortable fashion in Saturday’s $75,000 Harry E. Harris Stakes. Having tracked the pace, Max Attack moved forward on the final turn before drawing clear after the last to beat Pudding Lane by seven and three-quarter lengths for Todd McKenna and Keystone Thoroughbreds.
Watching on his phone at home, Doyle was delighted to see a horse he had always liked fulfil that promise.
“I thought it was brilliant. He was always a lovely, lovely horse at home. It wasn’t a matter of if, it was a matter of when he’d go and win for the next people,” Doyle said.
“It’s nice to see them when they go on for the next man. He broke his maiden a few weeks ago and they threw him in the deep end at Far Hills. He really impressed.”
Doyle bought Max Attack for €17,000 at the Goffs Arkle Sale in June 2025 and owned him jointly with his father Willie.
“He moved lovely, he had a great attitude and I loved the sire.”
The son of Maxios proved straightforward from the outset, with Aoibhe Kearney riding and looking after him at home.
“He was a lovely horse as a breaker and everything was straightforward the whole way through. He pulled out fresh every single day and absolutely loved his work.
“He just didn’t get his day. He bumped into a few very good horses in his two point-to-point runs, but we always held him in fairly high regard.”
Third on debut at Loughanmore, Max Attack subsequently finished second at Ballysteen before being offered at the Goffs UK Spring Sale.
He failed to sell in the ring, with Hamish Macauley and McKenna securing him privately afterwards.
“I was disappointed in a way. He wasn’t the biggest horse, so he didn’t attract too many people that way. But it’s great to see he’s going well for his new connections.”
For Doyle, seeing his horses progress after leaving the yard is an important part of building the business.
“We love when they go on and run well for their next owners because they might come back to you sometime. It’s very important to us that they train on.”
Max Attack is not the only member of his first team to show promise since moving on. Velvet Outlaw, who fell at the last while challenging on his debut at Dromahane, finished second in a Perth bumper for Olly Murphy last week.
Twentysixsoldiers, third on his debut at Loughanmore, has also joined Billy Aprahamian in Britain.
“He seems very happy with him. He’s probably going to take a bit of time, probably a chaser in the making.”
Doyle, 25, grew up working with half-breds before getting involved in racing after leaving school. It was the training side that appealed to him, and after gaining experience breaking and pre-training horses, he took out his handler’s licence last season.
“I always wanted to train my own horses.”
He spent several years working for Matty Flynn O’Connor and now works mornings for Colin Bowe before returning to his own horses in the afternoons.
“In fairness to Matty Flynn, I always had a few horses with him and he let me work away with them and guided me along the way.
“They’re two great mentors to have in point-to-pointing.”
Based at his uncle Mikie Doyle’s farm in Curraghgraigue, County Wexford, he has 20 stables, an uphill sand gallop and a grass schooling circuit of about a mile with five fences, which is also open to the public.
His uncle has helped him get the operation going, while Brian Dunleavy, Eoin Cloke and Shaun Greene come in to help with the horses in the afternoons.
Although no relation to the well-known Doyle training family, Alan is good friends with Gearoid Doyle, whose family are based just over the hill.
“There are plenty of good lads around here who will always share their knowledge if you’re ever questioning something.”
Doyle has also broken and pre-trained horses for Bowe, Flynn O’Connor, Sean Doyle and Philip Rothwell, and is keen to take in pointers for outside owners alongside the family’s horses.
For now, he is happy to combine developing his own yard with his work at Bowe’s.
“Colin’s a great mentor. You learn so much up there and it’s a great place to work as well.”
There will be no autumn runners, with a team of around 14 or 15 being prepared for the spring following a summer spent buying at the sales.
Finding the right horses within budget is one of the challenges of getting started.
“You’d follow hundreds of horses over the summer at the sales, but you’d only get a fraction of them.
“You’d always be second-guessing yourself when you only have a small number of horses. Point-to-pointing has gone so professional and there are loads of good trainers trying to compete.”
With Max Attack flying the flag in America, Doyle is hoping his new team can provide further encouragement and a first winner under his own name.
“Get them fit and healthy and running well, and hopefully along the way we’ll get a winner somewhere.”
“Get them fit and healthy and running well, and hopefully along the way we’ll get a winner somewhere.”
