An exodus of Wexford to Cheltenham as point-to-point vendors showcase the next generation

There was barely a moment for Matty Flynn O’Connor to draw breath at the stable complex with a queue of potential buyers seeking a viewing of one of his three lots in Thursday evening’s Tattersalls Cheltenham Festival Sale.

The Wexford-based point-to-point trainer has come a long way within a short space of time, demonstrated by just the action this week.

Flynn O’Connor has been sending out horses under his own name for little over five years, having earlier worked with leading names Colin Bowe and Sean Doyle, and had immediate success through Grade 1 Scilly Isles Novices’ Chase winner Sporting John, sold to JP McManus for a handsome £160,000 at this very sale in 2019.

Stay Away Fay had become the first winner of this meeting to hail from his Ballycrystal Stables when taking last year’s Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle. On the eve of Flynn O’Connor offering a Westerner half-sister (lot 10) to the same horse, he was not to receive another immediate boost with Stay Away Fay fading in the home straight after giving a brief thrill to his supporters in the Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase. 

The lightly raced gelding will have other days for Paul Nicholls and Flynn O'Connor still has another graduate to cheer with Friday’s leading Albert Bartlett contender High Class Hero.

Matty Flynn O'Connor has three live prospects in the saleCredit: Debbie Burt

"It was a big thing," Flynn O'Connor said as he recalled the moment of 12 months earlier. "From the people that buy him and for the owners, when you see them come back here and do it, the enjoyment they get out of it, especially with the money they spend. When you stand over a horse like that and he goes on and delivers, especially at Cheltenham where everything matters . . . it gives the agents and their owners just a bit of positivity to go back and buy another one off you."

Stay Away Fay had been a fine bit of business as he was bought for £39,000 as a store at Goffs UK and was bought here less than a year and a half later by Tom Malone and Nicholls for £305,000, on the back of winning a maiden point at Lingstown. 

"This mare came to me through her breeder Kieran Gleeson, because I obviously trained Stay Away Fay, and it’s worked out very well," said Flynn O'Connor. "She’s a lovely filly and got up very well in Ballycahane a couple of weeks ago.

"He probably wouldn't have been as tall as her but they would have been very similar in terms of the minds they have, it took a bit of time to get them there. He was very backward when I had him as a three-year-old. It took him forever to come, and she was a bit the same."

He also has another Ballycahane winner, Pierrot Jaguen (4) and easy Punchestown scorer Additional Time (24) in the line-up.

"One is a Saint Des Saints, the other is a Milan," said Flynn O'Connor. "They were two expensive Derby Sale purchases and are two lovely big types."

The yard where 30 catalogued lots are lodged and shown is tucked away a couple of furlongs before the winning line and to reach it involves passing much of the endless infrastructure which makes the festival tick. There are the vast stacks of beer barrels, the irrigation system and generators, even spare fences and many important-looking, walkie-talkie-bearing site managers.

Just as it is the side of the racecourse most people don’t see, the vendors in this sale are equally more back-of-house. Often based in the pointing heartland of Wexford, they won’t get much of the public recognition when one of their protegees go on to big-race glory. 

Tom Malone was among the agents looking through the catalogue, having bought Stay Away Fay from Matty Flynn O'ConnorCredit: Debbie Burt

However, there is no less risk when investments in store horses could be five or even six figures and the likes of Flynn O’Connor are relying on them to show aptitude in their first or second run in a point-to-point in order for them to attract big money from a National Hunt owner. 

"Last year we had a virus, we just couldn’t shift it, for what reason I don’t know," he explained. "There’s a lot of money invested, a lot of money going out every week with staff, feed, everything else just with the daily running of the whole operation. You need to be turning over money to keep the whole thing going.

"We couldn’t run them last year so we brought them back this season and thankfully it’s been going well since. Hopefully we can get the horses sold this week and they go onto a good home somewhere."

The Festival Sale has become the main fixture of the Tattersalls Cheltenham season, with every significant jump owner in attendance and often inspired to spend upwards of £300,000 on the next Shishkin, Noble Yeats or Bravemansgame.

The leading exponents of the industry, including Bowe, the Doyle brothers, Ellmarie Holden, Warren Ewing, Sam Curling, Denis Murphy and Britain’s top point-to-point rider Will Biddick have likely candidates engaged.

Another family from the same south-eastern Irish county as Flynn O'Connor are hoping to make their first big splash. Brothers James and Vincent Byrne and their father John have had two winners from just three runners this season out of a team of five and hope that Full Of Life (8), a scopey daughter of Great Pretender who scored easily on her debut at Borris House, can give them a perfect start as consignors in a major sale.

"It’s very exciting," said James Byrne. "This filly is a bit special, I've felt that way since the day I got her and sat on her back. She was just class since day one, she doesn’t come off the bridle in a piece of work and jumps savage."

James Byrne has been growing a family point-to-point operation with his brother VincentCredit: Debbie Burt

The brothers have combined skills. Vincent is a vet and James has worked for the likes of Ballylinch Stud, Jim Bolger and Mick Kent in Australia. The farm bred the 2022 Scottish National winner Win My Wings from a family that has been in their hands for generations. 

"Like a lot of Wexford, it’s horses and cows," laughed Vincent. 

"It goes back to my grandfather, there were a few broodmares and we sold the foals. Then James came back from Australia and wanted to point-to-point a few.

"Starvoski, who was Win My Wings’ half-sister, was our first winner in 2020 down in Dungarvan, she sold on to Kim Bailey and won a couple of races."

James added: "It goes back to a mare that our grandfather bought in Ballsbridge, 40-odd years ago. Koori Star won for us in Tallow this year, he’s from the same family, and we’ve got Win My Wings’ brother by Jet Away hopefully to go at the end of the month."

The sale begins in the Cheltenham winner's enclosure at 6.15pm on Thursday. The catalogue can be viewed here.

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