McCarthy - He is a horse that we have always held in high regard

Ian McCarthy has made an explosive start to the point-to-point season, returning an exceptional 80 percent strike rate with four winners from just five runners.

The Kildare-based trainer enjoyed his best campaign to date last term with eight winners, and the early signs suggest that total may soon be eclipsed.

 

Currently at the head of affairs in the Leading Horse table is Hearts And Spades, now unbeaten in three starts between the flags this season. McCarthy’s connection with the French-bred son of Maxios runs deep, having broken him as a three-year-old after owner Martin White purchased him from John Bleahen.

 

“He’s a horse we always held in high regard,” McCarthy said. “But he was always going to need a little bit of time. I broke him and did all the early schooling with him. Even as a three-year-old, we thought plenty of him.”

 

After a spell on the track where he earned a hurdles mark of 105, Hearts And Spades returned to McCarthy.

 

“I do a lot of breaking and pre-training for Martin, so I kept in close contact about how he was getting on. When he came back, we gave him a good break with Nelius Hayes in Knockainey Stud for eight weeks, and then started him back slowly.

"He’s gone from strength to strength now and the point-to-point circuit seems to suit him. He’s a horse we’ll have plenty of fun with.”

 

Hearts And Spades’ progression has been impressive. The six-year-old gelding made a winning return to points at Peppards Castle to take his maiden, followed up at Boulta in winners’ company, and then completed the hat-trick at Dromahane in the winner-of-two contest last weekend with a tough display in testing conditions.

After making several early mistakes and being briefly headed after the last, he battled back strongly to secure the narrowest of victories. McCarthy remains relaxed about those errors.

 

“We’re dropping him in and teaching him to settle. He can do a little bit too much early. The ground was that bit softer too. But when he gets things together, I wouldn’t be too worried.”

 

Hearts And Spades came out of his race fine but will not run in this weekend’s rescheduled Tattersalls winners’ race.

 

“No, we won’t go there,” McCarthy confirmed. “He’s had three runs in the last six weeks, so he deserves a chance now. We’ll look at the hunters’ chase in Limerick over Christmas, and there are loads of options into the new year.”

 

Barnpark, McCarthy’s other winner this term, was a four-and-a-half-length victor of the five-year-old geldings’ maiden at Boulta. Always travelling strongly, the Walk In The Park gelding asserted after the second-last and sealed the race with a slick jump at the last.

 

“He’s sold,” McCarthy revealed. “Tom Malone has bought him. The Bleahen brothers have been huge supporters of mine down through the years since I started training point-to-pointers, and they had him sold privately. I’m not sure where he’s going yet.”

 

Pagims Du Brizais is the only runner from the yard not to win this season, finishing sixth at Borris House when sent off a short-priced favourite. McCarthy is confident there is more to come.

 

“He’s a horse I bought as a three-year-old who just needed a bit of time. He finished sixth, only beaten around 11 lengths. It was a slowly run race. He’ll run again in the new year. Things just didn’t go to plan the last day.”

 

Stable flagbearer Fountain House made his seasonal reappearance in the Fairyhouse hunters chase on November 21st, finishing a pleasing third.

 

“I was delighted with his run behind Con’s Roc. The ground was very testing and although he handled it well, he would appreciate better ground. We’ll leave him to the new year. We’ll probably start him back in an open in January. It would be nice to qualify for Cheltenham, and Punchestown is definitely still an option. No solid plans have been made for him, we’ll let him tell us.”

 

McCarthy has formed a formidable partnership with fellow Galway native Eoin Mahon over the last few seasons.

 

“We’ve built up a great relationship. We’re both from near each other at home in Galway.”

 

Support at home is equally vital.

 

“My wife Nicki is hugely involved with the operation. She keeps all the books in order and looks after that whole side of it, and I have an incredible bunch of staff who work extremely hard at home. They all play a massive part.”

 

McCarthy, who was a member of the victorious Irish team that beat Australia in the annual jockeys' challenge match in August 2016, rode over 80 winners as a jockey before retiring from the saddle in 2021.

 

“I enjoyed every bit of my riding career. I learned an awful lot during my time with Dessie Hughes and with Ted Walsh.”

 

He highlights Fountain House’s victory in the Bishopscourt Cup at Punchestown last May as a standout moment of his training career.

 

“I love training a point-to-point winner, because I really enjoy bringing along and educating young horses.

 

“Punchestown last year, winning the Bishopscourt. I got a great kick out of that, especially with a horse that didn’t cost much money.”

 

McCarthy’s Grangecoor yard continues to grow in both scale and quality.

 

“We have 50-plus horses in: breaking, pre-training, pointers, young horses. We try to add more quality every year. If a horse needs time, we give it. We’ve six to eight three-year-olds turning four; they’re coming along nicely.”

 

He is excited about several young horses set to run over the next few weeks.

 

“We have a Soldier Of Fortune four-year-old called Bernie’s Dream for Dromahane on December 30th, and another French-bred horse, Kiss Rose, to look forward to.”

 

As for targets, McCarthy remains focused on steady improvement.

“You always try to better your previous year. If I can keep doing that over the next few years and produce as many nice horses as possible, I’ll be happy.”