Amaulino and jockey Andrew Ring with owner Jimmy Matthews, Claire Watson and Marshall Watson© Photo Healy Racing
Keith Watson welcomed around 80 visitors to his stable in Killylea, County Armagh on Saturday for the inaugural National Racehorse Trainer Open Morning.
Watson, who landed the Ulster National at Downpatrick in March with Amaulino, gave prospective new owners an insight into the workings of his yard.
The attendees were given a demonstration by farrier Colm McCormick and watched horses on the gallops and school over a hurdle. They were then bussed to Navan races to avail of the ownership experience.
Ulster National-winning jockey Andrew Ring was on hand to talk through the big-race success.
Watson is coming off his best campaign with six winners and expansion plans are already under way.
The trainer’s son Marshall, who plans to take over the licence in 2020, said: “People are coming through the gates that I’ve never seen before or never met. Even people that I would see at the races have come today that have never been here before.
“It gets people in through the yard gates and it introduces them to the staff and in behind the whole team. It has been a great idea and I think it is a great idea to maybe do it on a yearly basis.
“We have 22 horses in at present. There are 19 new boxes going up. Going into next season we are looking to break into nearer the 50 mark through new owners to racing, new owners to me personally and current owners expanding.
“Jimmy Matthews, who owns half of Amaulino, is a great backer of ours. He has loads of young horses coming through.
“We have three-year-olds and four-year-olds, we had as foals, that are now starting to filter through and we have just bought Chateau Conti — who has lost his way — out of Joseph O’Brien’s. It has been a long-term project this.”
Chateau Conti reached a mark of 142 on the back of two hurdle victories for Willie Mullins back in 2017, but hasn’t troubled the judge in subsequent outings for O’Brien.
With numbers due to increase markedly, the spotlight falls on the facilities.
“Apart from the four-furlong woodchip gallop we have got three grass gallops — we have a six-furlong uphill grass gallop, then we have a mile and a quarter round grass gallop and a seven-furlong round grass gallop,” the assistant trainer said.
“The mile and two (gallop) has been upgraded from seven furlongs, the gallop is only five years old so it is relatively new.”
The team have been keen to emphasise the Ulster National victory with a banner across the stable gate the first thing that visitors notice upon arrival.
“The Ulster National has been one off the bucket list. Dad had bred the winner of it (Peacock Royale in 1990) and we had gone near so many times. It meant a lot to be honest,” Watson jnr said.
“People maybe don’t take pride when they get a winner as much as we do. With our yard we want to have winners and days out — it’s not really a commercial selling platform for four-year-olds as everything is retained.
“The horses will be turning up the next week or the week after to compete again. We are in it to compete, we are not in it to earn a quick buck.”
The Watsons are also setting up the Springfield Racing Club as another ownership option.
