THE IRISH FIELD, Saturday, November 18, 2017 A14 the big interview

healyracing.ie Tom Malone busy at the Tattersalls Derby Confidence Sale earlier this year key in rise of Malone Daragh Ó Conchúir talks to blood- stock agent Tom Malone about his successful transition to the sales ring

OM MALONE recalls approach- ing the figurative crossroads, distraught and broken. He had turned back from conditional to amateurT to work with Philip Hobbs and booted home three winners in his first five rides. But then he broke his shoulder schooling, and two weeks after return- ing, fractured his ankle. Hobbs was willing to keep him on but he had fallen down the pecking order. “I packed up the Fiesta and I headed for home,” Malone details. “I was go- ing home after one year in England, a failure, and it was going to be seen as a failure and I wasn’t in a good place. I’ll never, ever forget it. “I pulled up in Fishguard and I cried my eyes out. I cried for an hour long. I thought ‘Fuck this. I deserve one more of the saddle. So he commentated on wanna spend on it.’ That’s how we do it. am, especially on the Irish side of it. On chance at this.’ I got the Horses In Train- point-to-points in England and did some the French side, I have Seamus Murphy ing book out of me bag and opened it up punditry work for At The Races. When What is it like forking out huge who helps me there. I have a guy called on Martin Pipe’s page. I rang him and he bought his first horse and it went sums of other people’s money on a Bernard Cullinane, who’s from Dun- said ‘Mr Pipe, would you mind if I came on to win nine races, he head found his horse? garvan and is a very good guy on speed and had a job?’ vocation. First and foremost is confidence... confi- figures. His judgement on some of these “‘I’ll give you a job but you’re never “I never missed a beat. I worked so dence that you’ve picked the right horse. horses is invaluable. It just puts a little gonna ride,” he said. hard and just built up the momentum. I put my balls on the line at Cheltenham more flesh on the bone. I make my own “I just wanted another year. Within Always being seen at the sales, going last (March) to buy a horse called Slate mind up on the horses but having some- three weeks I’d ridden for him and I that bit extra and it started to work. I House. I bought him myself. I paid one to say, apart from visually it’s very never looked back. That was the phone ended up getting into Paul Nicholls and £260,000 for him. I stood in the ring, fast, factually it’s very fast is a big thing call that changed my life.” buying a few for him and that now is no-one really said ‘Go and buy it for me’ so Bernard has brought a new angle to He was 21 then and had it gone one of the main guys I buy horses for.” but I wanted that horse. No-one else was it. And Nick Taylor is my assistant. another way, he would have been back The client list is broad and it is no going to have him on their books be- home, a bricklayer like his father Tom wonder given the stunning CV that cause I needed to have that horse. Now It’s a very public confirmation or Snr or carpenter like his brother. And details 45 graded successes, 11 of them I knew, give me 24 hours, I’ll get him otherwise of your judgement when that would have been fine except that Grade 1s, another a . sold if I’ve bought him. He was sold 15 they run. Malone had grown to love horses. The success is not confined to National minutes after I’d bought him. If I’d left The first day they run is the hardest This was despite the Tullamore Hunt either, as he has accumulated him there, I wouldn’t have him on my because I have told an owner to buy this youngster only having had his introduc- nine group races on the flat, including a books. I wouldn’t have earned a commis- horse. I’ve been in the position where tion to them seven years earlier, as two Group 1. sion on him. The whole thing wouldn’t they don’t win and they don’t for a year. friends brought him to Brosna View Dodging Bullets, One For Arthur, My have been in my favour and I’d have to I bought Double Treasure unraced out Stables in Clara for a riding lesson on Dream Boat, Finian’s Oscar, Native Riv- watch that horse running this year for of Ireland and he was a disaster for 18 his 14th birthday. He was reluctant but er, Irving, Brindisi Breeze, The Worlds somebody else. That would have killed months. Now he’s after winning his last it was a Saturday and there was nothing End and Caspar Netscher are among the me and would make me think about not four, he won at Cheltenham last time out much else to do. Within moments, he most prominent of his triumphs. wanting to do this job. Because if I don’t and is rated 150. But for 18 months he was hooked The resident spoke to The put my neck on the line and buy him, was a giveaway job and me with the egg After four lessons, he was working at Irish Field ahead of the Tattersalls why should an owner? He won at Chel- on my face. But I knew the ability was Brosna View on weekends and quickly Ireland Cheltenham November Sale in tenham first-time out. That is where the there. I had to take some decent cuts at hacking and hunting as well under the Cheltenham yesterday, where he was confidence comes from. me over him but I don’t care. As long as eagle eye of Brian Sheridan, a show sure to be very active. they don’t get hurt they can prove me jumping guru who also had a long as- It would be unusual for an agent to right. sociation with the South Westmeath What do you have to do to prepare take the plunge without an order? Harriers. for this sale? Very unusual. No-one else would take What big wins did you enjoy most? “I’ll never forget those days,” says I do like to have seen these horses as that gamble and they’re probably right. Cheltenham in 2015 was a big year Malone. “He made me a man.” youngsters in all the yards, so I already It’s a suicidal gamble sometimes but because one of them was French In time he moved on to Tom Lacy, have a vibe on which horses they think I couldn’t do it any other way. I’m not (Qualando), one of them was a point- John Quinn and Philip Rothwell, is the nicest. I already have pictures and functioned to do it any other way. I’m to-pointer (Next Sensation) and one of for whom he rode a winner. He went footage of them. So when it happens not the sort of guy that goes to a sale them was a flat horse (Dodging Bullets), greyhound racing in Navan one night on a Sunday, at least I know it’s not and if he doesn’t buy something, he so no-one can pigeonhole me to “he only and met ex-jockey Ronnie Beggan, a after-timing. Horses win on a Sunday doesn’t. I know every time I go to a sale buys pointers” or “he only buys French multiple -winning and I know that they are strongly there’s a chance there’s a good horse horses.” Last April at Aintree I had jockey. fancied, that it’s going to happen. That there. But pick him, and then sell him. two Grade 1 winners (Finian’s Oscar “He said ‘if you’re gonna shovel shit, always gives me a lot of confidence, Many’s the time I’ve bought horses and and The Worlds End), a Grade 2 winner shovel it for the best. If you’re gonna these horses aren’t overnight successes. I haven’t found owners for them, but (Lalor) and a Grand National winner ride, ride for the best’ and that stuck They’re in the background doing the because I know about them, I can sell (One For Arthur). What a fabulous week with me. He told me ‘you need to go to right things. They’re always the best them. They invariably get sold. The that was! England.’ So I did.” horses to buy. odd time I have got it wrong and it’s That was for four different trainers. His decade at Nicholashayne provid- cost me money but that’s life. That’s the Everybody gets a chance with me. I buy ed exposure to genius but also prepara- What determines who you go to? rough and tumble of trying to make a a horse and whoever says they want it tion and attention to detail. Allied with Confidence is It’s not a case of that. I get the cata- business. Through that, I’ve managed first gets it, whether it’s Paul Nicholls or a work ethic most inherited from Tom everything. If logue. I go through it in depth. I will to build up a reputation and now I have Richard Woollacott. There’s no favourit- Snr, these traits are the foundation of do up a profile on the whole sale, I will orders. ism. That’s not how I run my business his flourishing bloodstock business. I don’t put my put it under my header and I’ll send and they all know that. That’s why they As “an average jockey”, albeit one neck on the line it around to all my owners. I’ll have a And no doubt you are building con- all use me because they know they’ll get that could get the job done with more to buy a horse, fair idea who wants what. If two people tacts all the time? a fair crack of the whip. I don’t care who than 70 winners including a season- want the same one, it’s very simple. You I’ve got to a stage where now they want it is, I want to buy winners and I want to high 30 in 2004-2005, Malone was always why should an say ‘You’re gonna be fighting with x, y to advise me on the right ones because share them with everyone. considering the possibilities of life out owner? and z on that and it’s up to you what you it’s in their interests to make sure that I