John's a sure hand with the horses
Wednesday November 04 2009
FORMER Ceann Comhairle John O'Donoghue's expertise with the gee-gees is documented in a new DVD about racing syndicates.
'Horse Racing Syndicates – It Could Be You' features a number of Kerry contributers, not least Tralee trainer Tom Cooper. And it is in relation to Mr Cooper's celebrated horse, Forpaddytheplasterer, that John O'Donoghue reveals his extraordinary knowledge of the sport of kings.
"John was a great help to us and we interviewed him prior to the Cheltenham festival and he accurately predicted Forpaddytheplasterer would win the Irish Independent Arkle Chase in the same year as Kerry would win the All-Ireland, so he got two right," filmmaker AnnaMay Mullins said.
"The DVD is all about how to set-up racing syndicates and we followed the fortunes of two in particular for the making of the documentary, including the Goat Racing Syndicate, headed by Charlie Chawke, who own Forpaddytheplasterer and the River Syndicate, who own Presenting Lucy," she explained.
Like all good horse-racing films, its an exciting human drama above all else, with plenty of note on the expertise of trainer Tom Cooper. Details of the DVD were first announced at the Listowel Races this year when AnnaMay was interviewed by TG4.
