The Irish National Stud Racing & Breeders Group played a significant role in the ownership journey of the Phoenix Rising Syndicate. Created to foster interest in racing and to connect like-minded individuals, the initiative has proved a lasting success, with many of those early relationships continuing to thrive.
Among them are Leo Murphy and Michael Pyne, who became close friends through the programme and carried their shared passion for the sport into syndicate ownership. Fully involved in every stage of their racing experience, they have enjoyed a rewarding season with their first purchase, Spanish Temptress.
Leo reflects on their remarkable year and recounts the story of how it all began.
How did you become involved in Racehorse Ownership?
I went racing with my dad when I was younger, whenever I could, I'm from Tipperary, so we went to a lot of the point-to-point meetings around that area as well. It was mainly the national hunt meetings we attended, but I always had an interest in the flat as well. My dad had a couple of young horses that he used to break in and sell so we were always around horses.
How did you get into Racehorse Ownership?
I met a couple of the guys who are involved in the syndicate through the Irish National Stud Racing & Breeding group, which was set up a number of years ago, and the idea of that was to stimulate interest in horse racing and breeding. I moved up to Dublin for college and was never really at home, and missed that connection with horse racing, it was a great way of getting to meet like-minded people who are interested in the sport for the love of the horse and all aspects of it. The initiative was a great way of giving people an understanding of the breeding industry, and the opportunity of getting involved in micro shares of some of the stock that they had down there. It was just a great way of getting to meet people with similar interests.
How did you purchase your horse Spanish Temptress?
Myself and Michael had been chatting about doing our own thing and purchasing our own horse, so we decided to set up a syndicate with a view to purchasing a flat yearling. We worked with Ross Doyle to narrow down the selections at the yearling sales back in 2023. We wanted to be as involved as we could throughout the whole journey. Ross was great, we both had a short list and we went through them all and narrowed it down to this filly, she met the criteria we were looking for, and we brought her through the ring in September 2023 at Book 2 at Goffs.
Who is involved in the syndicate?
Myself and Michael Pyne kind of kicked the syndicate off, Michael was involved in the INS group with me, Gerry Hanley who was a friend of ours, Aidan Comerford, a friend and neighbour of Michael's and Laurence Gavin, Cormac Shannon, a friend of mine and the last member of the group is Victor Sheahan who is a long-time owner at Richard O'Brien's took the final share which completed the syndicate. Everyone had an interest in racing, but for the most part, it was our first time becoming a registered owner.
Is there a story behind the name of the syndicate?
In general, we all liked Phoenix Of Spain as a stallion; we think he is a very underrated stallion. We didn't go looking to buy anything by Phoenix Of Spain, it just happened that we were interested in looking at his stock. I suppose they say that a phoenix rises from the ashes, and that's where the Phoenix Rising Syndicate name came from.
What about Spanish Temptress, who decided on that name?
I suppose this is the kind of fun part of the ownership journey, naming and designing the colours! We had sent her to Dick Brabazon on the Curragh to be broken in and pre-trained. They really liked her, but they said she had plenty of personality, shall we say! We have a WhatsApp group for all involved to keep everyone updated. When she moved down to Richard O'Brien's, she was progressing quite quickly, and he said to get her named as she would be ready to run soon. We had a poll on WhatsApp to vote for names, it's all part of the craic, and this was the name that came out on top!
How did you decide on Richard O'Brien to be your trainer?
Well, Michael had been involved in syndicates with Richard previously, and he had a good relationship with him. Michael had some success with horses there, and we wanted to go to a smaller trainer as we wanted to be involved and understand what was going on throughout the whole process. Richard was able to give us his time and patience to ensure that we were, which was a big thing for us. He has been so welcoming and easy to deal with. It's been tough for him over the last couple of years, like it is for a lot of smaller trainers, but he has had good horses in the past that he was able to get the best out of them, and not too many have left his yard and gone on to do any better. We have been happy with Richard, he has been great and has done a brilliant job with Spanish Temptress.
How do you manage expectations with the syndicate?
When we put the syndicate together, we said look, we don't think this will be a two-year-old, so just be aware of that, There was never any pressure from us on Richard to do anything different than he was doing. We did run her late in her two-year-old season just to get her out and an experience of being out of the yard and at the races. She ran in Dundalk, she didn't run that great. Still, we weren't too worried; she got a good winter off and brought her back in the Spring, and Richard thought she had taken a big step forward since then.
How did she progress the following year?
We ran her in a maiden at Cork, she finished 6th over 7 furlongs, Richard was open with us and said he didn't think she would win a maiden and needed another run to qualify for a handicap mark, so we ran her in the Curragh over 6 furlongs and finished 8th, that maiden proved to be a good maiden and some nice horses started coming out of it. She was entered in a handicap in Limerick in July after a break, and she ran really well; she just got chinned on the line late on. Cleverly of Richard he had happened to enter her on the Tuesday after in Killarney as a backup plan if the ground happened to be too quick to run. Luckily, it wasn't, and Richard said she had come out of that race really well, and he was keen to run her again. The rain came and the ground turned soft, which we were worried about her being able to handle it; it was no problem for her, and she went and won that day with Colin Keane on board.
Did you have a great day out in Killarney?
It was great, to be fair to the management team in Killarney, they look after owners so well. We got a recording of the race on a USB stick to take home. We were lucky in a way that the race was sponsored by the Irish Examiner, so we got a lot of coverage from it! I had friends from America and Australia calling to say they had seen it! It was great to have my brother and nephews there on the day to share these moments with.
How did the season end for Spanish Temptress?
She had another couple of runs under her belt, ran ok but didn't finish out in a couple of races in between. We had said to Chris Hayes after she had ridden her one of the days, we were thinking of wrapping up the season with her. He said to hold off, there were another couple of months left of the season, and he thought there was a race in her still, and a cut in the ground would suit her. We found another suitable race back in Killarney again, same track and conditions, and low and behold she went and won again! We were looking for another race for her in Roscommon quite shortly after but it looked like it would suit. She went and won again under Colin Keane, we were delighted, she had her third win of the season for the syndicate. We ran at the Curragh on the last day of the season, it didn't go our way, but she had a great season all the same and is now on a break until the spring.
What has your Ownership experience given you so far?
Just the absolute thrill of getting to lead in a winner in your syndicate colours is just magic. I think what was so important to us was being involved right from the very beginning, going through the catalogues, meeting Ross Doyle, going to the sales, being part of the process of sourcing your horse for the syndicate, and then watching that same horse walk into the winner's enclosure meant that little bit more. Remember that phrase, 'I love it when a plan comes together,' that's kind of how we felt. When you get to that age where you aren't playing in sports anymore, this is as good as it gets. Having your friends and family congratulating you and having that involvement in something special is great. To be in the parade ring with some of the world’s best jockeys, having those conversations and involvement with these sports stars and watching them walk into the parade ring wearing your silks, it's quite unbelievable really! Even just going back through and picking out photos to get framed and put up in the house is something I look forward to.
How would you compare being involved in racing with any other sport?
We have all been involved in other sports like soccer, football, rugby, and GAA, but it's just different altogether. You are literally standing next to these sports stars as they are about to jump on your horse. You are very involved and included in this sport as an owner. The whole experience has just been really positive.
Has your ownership journey sparked an interest with friends and family?
Oh definitely, I had another friend in mind who I offered a position in the syndicate to, and he couldn't take it on at the time, even now he wishes that he had taken me up on the offer! It's amazing how through the ownership journey, it can stimulate an interest even with colleagues at work, my kids’ friends and their parents are always asking about the horse! There is no doubt about it though, you need a little bit of luck.
Would you go racing even if you don't have a runner?
Yes, we went to Ascot in June, the Arc last year, and we went on the stallion trails last year too. It's a very sociable industry and great to get out and about together with family and friends. We will probably do the stallion trail again this time. It's great to see the different studs and a great way of staying connected with people.
What are the plans for the future of the syndicate and Spanish Temptress?
She's obviously wrapped up now for the season, and the plan is to have her ready to run in the spring and then again in the autumn when conditions will suit her best. She will be back next year and try again to maybe get some black type to give her a little push that way, with a view that she could be a nice broodmare down the line. We are really looking forward to next season, and I suppose, depending on how the year develops, we will look at the yearling sales again next year to repeat the process.
What is it like being an owner with or without a runner on a Raceday?
It's great, even if your horse doesn't run well, it's still a great day out, especially when running at the bigger festivals or meetings. Even just to be involved on those days, being in the owners & trainers bar is enjoyable. The Raceday experience at each track is important, I think yourselves in the Ownership department and the tracks themselves are doing their best to improve it from an owner’s point of view.
What would you say to someone who is interested in racehorse ownership but hasn't taken the leap yet?
There are plenty of options out there for everyone, depending on what you are looking for budget-wise. You need to know what you want to get out of the experience. For us it was about the experience and not making money; it's not what we were in it for. Decide what type of owner you want to be and how involved you want to be, and find a trainer that matches those expectations. As long as you go into it knowing what you want, you budget for the best and the worst, and you get as much out of the whole experience as anything else. Look forward to the days out, going to the races and the visits to the yard. If you win and pick up prize money, it's a bonus. I think be prepared to enjoy the travelling to different racetracks around the country, the ups and downs that come with it, and most importantly, enjoy the good days!
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.
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