Owner Spotlight The Stories Behind It All

There’s a special kind of magic in community-owned racehorses, horses that carry not just the colours and a local meaning behind the name, but the hopes of an entire town. Nowhere is that spirit more alive right now than in Kentstown, Co. Meath, where Good Girl Kathleen has become a symbol of shared pride and possibility. Her recent Grade 3 victory at Cork lit up the town, giving the Lions Mouth Racing Club their most memorable day since the club first came together eight years ago.

This is a story that began long before the Black Type success. It began with one racing fan, Mick Cawley, whose interest in the sport as a child grew into a grassroots ownership movement. What started as casual days out at the Leopardstown Christmas Festival with friends has now evolved into a thriving local racing club, one that has been built on affordability, camaraderie and the belief that racehorse ownership shouldn’t be reserved for the minority. Mick shares the journey behind the Lions Mouth Racing Club and how leasing their fillies from breeders has opened the sport up to the ordinary person.

When did your interest in horse racing start?
I suppose the interest started when I was growing up as a kid, I enjoyed watching racing and going to the races. Doing the sweepstake for the Grand National and things like that was where it all started. My family didn't have a real interest in the sport, but as I got older, I really started to enjoy the days out at the races. Leopardstown at Christmas was a particular highlight with friends, a lot of people around my area would have a big interest in horse racing.

When did you decide to become a Racehorse Owner?
It wasn't even something I was looking to pursue at the time. I happened to be at the Galway Festival back in 2017, a friend of mine, Barry Monaghan, was involved in the Blue Bloods Racing Club and introduced me to James Fenton, who was the agent for that Racing Club. When I got back from the Galway Festival, I reached out to a few within the Kentstown community to see if anyone would be interested in setting up our own Racing Club. There seemed to be a real interest in it, James went through with us how syndicates & Racing Clubs work, what we needed to do to get going, and we decided to go for it then. We started out with nearly 30 members, all pretty much based in the Kentstown, Co. Meath area, so everybody knew everybody, and we were all friends as well.

Who is involved in the Racing Club?
Most of us, not all of us at this stage though, are from Kentstown. I'd say around 90% of members are from that area, and we all know each other. The other guys that are involved would be friends of members who are involved already. We also have four members who are from Birmingham who are involved.

How did you source your horses for the Club?
We don't buy horses, we lease them instead. That way, we don't have to worry about a big up front cost of purchasing a horse. James has sourced the horses that have been involved in the Club from the breeders directly. We have been involved in leasing our horses from all different breeders & owners. It has worked out well for us; they are all fillies that we would lease. The prize money would stay with us, but we would pay the training bills, and the breeder/owner would then have the filly back to breed from once the horse has finished her racing career. If we are lucky enough to get black type for the breeder's filly, they then have a better chance of reaping the rewards in the sales ring after. It works well for both sides. We are in a lucky position at the moment where owners & breeders are willing to lease their horses to Clubs and syndicates, giving us a chance to set up and not have the pressure of trying to buy a horse first, making it affordable for the ordinary person.

How does the Club work in terms of cost?
We are a relatively small club, and we wanted to keep the costs very low, which we had written into the constitution as well. With only 30 members involved, we would only really be able to afford to have 1 horse in training at any time. But we have been lucky enough that we have had 33 runners for the Club to date, starting from 2018 and out of that, we have had 10 winners, and 5 places, so we have been really lucky and done well with the horses we have. What we decided from the beginning is that we wouldn't take any of the winnings out of the club, and we would use it to try and put a second horse in training instead. The winnings let us keep 2 horses in training instead of 1, so it kind of pays for itself by reinvesting the money back into the Club. On a monthly basis, it would cost each member roughly €90 a month, which we have written into our constitution that we are never going to raise or lower that price. It's to make it affordable to anyone that wouldn't have the opportunity to own a racehorse.

What can the members of the Lions Mouth Racing Club expect when they are involved?
We have Club days out to the training yards to see the horses; we would usually go down on an annual basis. We would get to see the horses on the gallops, chat to the trainers, jockeys and stable staff as well. We would also organise our own Club days out, where we might go racing for a day out when we don't have a runner and just have a few drinks and enjoy the day out together.

Is there a story behind the name of the Racing Club?
The Club is set up in a little town in Co. Meath called Kentstown. In the middle of Kentstown, there is a little historic monument, which is a drinking fountain known as the Lions Mouth. So that's where the name comes from! It has been there since the 1800's and was erected by Sir William Somerville, who was the Chief Secretary for Ireland at that stage.

How did you come across acquiring Good Girl Kathleen for the Lions Mouth Racing Club?
She became involved in the Club around this time last year, and she had her first run for us in April of this year. We put her into pre-training with David Fenton before she went to Emmet Mullins. This would be the first horse we had with Emmet Mullins, the rest of the horses had been in training with Willie Mullins. Just for a little bit of a change to see what the experience would be like with a smaller yard, it's worked out great so far! Emmet has been a pleasure to deal with. We also have a second filly that we are in the process of naming and is in Closutton with Willie Mullins, we are hoping to have her out in the New Year.

What has you Ownership journey been like so far?
In fairness, it has been very good, it has taught us a lot of things, and one of those is patience! As we have learnt over the years, horses are delicate creatures, and injuries can happen from time to time, which can leave us waiting for the next run. I've also seen the improvements over the years towards syndicate and Racing Club members in terms of the increased number of tickets provided for Racing Clubs and improved services at the racecourses for owners as well. It's great to see these progressing in the right direction.

Would you say you have met new people through your Ownership journey?
Definitely yes, 100%. You meet people at the racecourse, and all over, you would get chatting to people from all walks of life. Once you mention you are involved with a horse, they will know someone with a horse. It's definitely a topic of conversation in all settings, but on the track, we have met so many nice people and we have made a lot of new contacts, which is great. Everyone in racing has been so approachable; you can speak to anyone, and they have always given us great advice. I just think it has been a great way of meeting new people who have the same interests as you.

What was it like to have a Grade 3 winner at Cork on Sunday?
It was brilliant. It's a long way from Kentstown to Cork, so there weren't as many members there on the day as I would have hoped! We were optimistic of a good run, both Emmet and Donagh were happy with her, but just to have a runner in a graded race and then come out with a winner was just fantastic! Everyone was delighted! We have a WhatsApp group, where all members are included. We sent videos from the day, including clips of Donagh and Emmet talking us through the race, so the members who weren't there got to enjoy the experience too. I believe there was a good party had on Sunday back in Kentstown! I caught up with a few when I got back on Monday, and they were thrilled.

What is that winning feeling like as an owner?
We have been very lucky, our first runner was a winner back in Downpatrick in 2018 called Rebel Og, but that feeling is just indescribable. No matter what other sports I have been involved with in my life, there was nothing that compared to the feeling of having our first winner. It was the very same feeling on Sunday; it was such a brilliant feeling, especially to see where we are at now, having a winner in a graded race. To see the Club progress from the very beginning to now, competing in graded races has been a lovely journey to be on. It's still as exciting now to be involved in a winner as it was with the very first one.

What does the future look like for Good Girl Kathleen?
We all have hopes and dreams of being at the Spring Festivals! But she came out of the race very well, Emmet sent us a message, and she has been great. We aren't sure of her next target, but after Sunday, we hope that she can bring us to some of those bigger meetings. We will chat with Emmet and plot a course to see where we can go next with her. Just to even be part of those big meetings will be fantastic.

Do you think your Ownership journey has sparked an interest in family and friends?
Absolutely, it has, especially among the local community, whenever we have a horse running, it's like it's the town's horse. Everyone is excited when we have a winner! Even in the shop yesterday, everyone was congratulating us, saying well done! Everyone knows someone who is involved in the Club, so it has created a great buzz within the community. I think even people who haven't an interest in horse racing now have an interest in our journey. It's the same with family members and friends; they are always asking about the horses. We have had a lot of members involved in the club over the years who know nothing about horse racing, but just wanted to be involved for the excitement after seeing what we have gotten out of it.

What would you say to someone that is interested in getting involved in a syndicate or Racing Club, but hasn't taken the leap yet?
I'd definitely say to go for it, because it is very exciting and enjoyable. But you need to have patience, especially at the beginning of the journey; it can take a bit of time before the horse gets to the track. Having a trainer who suits your expectations is key, and communication is very important, especially in terms of the sort of horse you think you have. We have been very lucky that we have only been involved with the two trainers, and both have been fantastic for us. You aren't going into it to make money, you're going into it for the joy, days out with the gang and your family. It's a very family-oriented industry; you can bring your family and kids to enjoy a great day out. I'd definitely be getting involved for the enjoyment rather than the money.

If you're interested in exploring racehorse ownership opportunities and discovering the stories behind the sport, contact us on [email protected] to find out how to get involved.

The feeling is just indescribable. No matter what other sports I have been involved with in my life, there was nothing that compared to the feeling of having our first winner.