'It's time to be making plans' - legendary 91-year-old trainer Kevin Prendergast to sell up his Friarstown Stables

Moving on but not gone yet. That is the message from 91-year-old Kevin Prendergast, who has announced that his Friarstown Stables on the edge of the Curragh will be put up for sale but he is not retiring from the training ranks just yet.

The legendary trainer, who has sent out winners across seven different decades, has been based in Friarstown since 1964, but said the time has come to put the property on the market so the 250-acre site is now for sale. 

Explaining his reasons for selling up, Prendergast told the Racing Post: "Age is honourable and I was 91 the other day. I'm getting to the stage now where it's time to be making plans. 

"I have seven daughters but they all have their own lives and their own way of going. None of them are really interested in it. It's a very nice place and we've built it up very well over the years. It's been very lucky for us and we've made a lot of memories here, but life moves on and that's just the way it is."

Prendergast was among the winners just this week. He sent out the promising Profit Refused to win a maiden at Roscommon on Tuesday evening and her form is looking seriously smart now given she got within a length of subsequent Chesham winner Snellen at Limerick last month.

Prendergast with his Irish 2,000 Guineas winner Awtaad at Friarstown StablesCredit: Patrick McCann

Finding winners has not been easy for Prendergast in recent years and neither has been finding owners. 

Sheikh Hamdan Al Maktoum was Prendergast's main supplier over the last few years and sent horses to him for 35 years. They famously teamed up to win the Irish 2,000 Guineas with Awtaad in 2016, but his recent death has left Friarstown Stables much lower in numbers. 

Prendergast said: "The way it's gone is that when you get a bit older nobody wants you and it's the same story in racing. It's hard to get owners and nobody really wants to be training at the Curragh anymore for whatever reason. It's hard to keep horses when you don't have owners. It's not an easy game anymore."

Asked if he would continue training if he found a suitable spot at the Curragh to rent, he replied: "Of course I would, I'll keep going. I'm in very good health at the moment but, as you well know, when you get to my age you're in the departure lounge and you're only waiting for a driver. That's just the way it is."

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