Curragh trainer Brendan Duke on Punchestown, Jim Bolger and his greatest win

In interviews for our Punchestown specials, many trainers and jockeys have spoken about the now jump racing mega-event and its evolution.

Most involved in the horse racing game in one way or another have discussed the exceptional racing now taking place. But

Curragh-based trainer Brendan Duke expressed his longing for the family and social event the festival it used to be and how it inspired him to get into racing in the first place.

“Local people and farmers would have a horse to run in Punchestown and it was like an Olympic event for them to have a horse run there. There was a local man to us called Tom Carew and he had horses in training and everything revolved around Punchestown,” Brendan recalled.

“He had a smart horse running called Artists Chance, he needed very hard ground and it became a really dry April. Tom Carew was a butcher and my father was buying pigs off him. He said to him that if this weather keeps up, that horse will not be beaten.”

Brendan’s father had met the butcher and part-time trainer on the Monday of race week. They would have to wait three more days to see could the weather could hold off for their big race on Thursday in Punchestown.

“The excitement, and not from a betting point of view, that we knew someone who had a horse that was going to win at Punchestown was incredible.

“The weather didn’t break and Artists Chance won eight lengths, I don't remember the year but I will always remember the euphoria of the horse winning. The excitement of all the neighbours or anyone that knew him had because they had a sense of belonging with someone that had had a winner at Punchestown. It was a community kind of horse.

“They have done a great job in bringing Punchestown forward, it has moved on from all that because of all the quality of horses that are now there.”

Brendan, having been inspired by watching iconic horses like Arkle in his younger years and the days spent on track with family and local people, always wanted to train horses of his own.

Brendan was not without any knowledge of the four-legged animals, having grown up with working and show horses but few in the realm of high quality racing. But in his own words he “had to get involved” in racing.

“I noticed that Jim Bolger had just started to appear. I would go racing as much as I could just to go racing. These (Bolger) horses started appearing and they were different, how fit they were, how well they were turned out. He began beating Vincent O’Brien with some very lowly priced horses,” Brendan recalled.

In December 1977 Brendan went to Goffs and bought a foal for 220 quid and as he put it “she was as crooked as the letter X.”

“I said to my dad and a friend of his that I was going to get Jim Bolger to train this filly. I went to a February meeting in Leopardstown and I see walking over the hill but Jim Bolger and Noel Meade. I asked him if I could have a word.”

“He said ‘of course you can’, I said that I’m Brendan Duke and I bought a filly in December. I have never had a race horse before and I would really like you to train it.”

“Why would you do that?” Bolger asked.

“In my opinion, you are going to be a Champion trainer,” Brendan said.

“Sorry?” Bolger replied.

“In my opinion, you are going to be a Champion trainer,” Brendan said once more.

“I don’t get many people stopping me in the street telling me I'm going to be a Champion trainer…if you are thinking that way I will give you a commitment now that I will train your filly,” Bolger said before they went their separate ways.

The pair departed with verbal confirmation for Brendan and Jim Bolger, undoubtedly slightly taken aback by the encounter. Brendan considered the agreement a done deal and followed up with Bolger at the end of February with a phone call.

“Hi Mr Bolger, it's Brendan Du–” he began before being cut off.

“You don't still want me to train that filly do ya?” Bolger interjected.

Brendan was insistent and the following Wednesday, the budding owner brought himself and his filly to Jim Bolger. The trainer questioned how he would get the conditioning off the filly but nonetheless the pair went on to discuss how much the fees would be moving forward.

“Do you back horses?” Bolger asked.

“No,” Brendan said.

“Well listen, you’ll back this one. I have a horse running in Haydock called Exalted. Put your first month’s training fee on that horse on Saturday,” Bolger replied.

“Mr.Bolger, I don’t back horses,” Brendan repeated.

“First of all, it’s Jim. Second of all, you make sure that you back it and if it's beaten the first two months are on me,” Bolger insisted.

With a deep uncertainty with him as he left the premises, Brendan put £25 on Exalted to win and sat uncomfortably for the coming days. The day came and Brendan's stomach was in knots as he refused dinner from his mother until the result was in from Haydock on Saturday afternoon. Exalted won by six lengths at 4/1 and before he settled down for his dinner Brendan rang the trainer himself to thank him.

“I am so grateful for you telling me about that horse,” Brendan said.

“Well now I am going to get paid that first month now amn’t I?” Bolger laughed.

As time went on, things began to look more promising for the filly as Bolger informed Brendan of her potential. Bolger would be proven right as she would go on to win the O’Brien Cup in Tralee and put in other good showings.

“Ever since then we hit it off and we still are hitting it off. We would go look at horses and after that bit of success it was great and that’s how I finally got myself into racing,” Brendan explained.

After time spent with Bolger with looking at horses, Brendan informed the trainer that he wanted to make his own step into training.

“I moved to England after the most ridiculed report and factual advice from Jim Bolger on the madness of it all, how crazy training horses was. I was training horses with him and I said I want to train them myself, I want my name on the sheet,” Brendan said.

He said, “Oh so you are looking for the limelight,” Bolger said sarcastically.

“No, I just want to do this,” Brendan replied.

“I always kept a couple of mares and still do. I bought a mare off one of the lads, she was called Eilish and I sent her to a horse in Tara stud and I bred this horse myself,” Brendan recalled.

I had started up in 2001 and we called him Openide. I was going terribly at that time and we only had a few horses. We had horses that should have been prosecuted for masquerading as a race horse.”

Despite the advice of those around him who also thought that Openide was turning into a fine horse and wanted to see him get a run, Brendan remained patient.

“I told them I finally had him in a race and it was in the listed bumper in Cheltenham on New Year's day.”

The replies from those close to Brendan in the yard were unanimous.

“Oh for f**ks sake.”

Among the groans, one of the lads stepped forward to relay a clear message to Brendan, “This horse is crazy but he gets it from you because you are stone effing mad, because he has no chance in Cheltenham.”
Just make sure the horse gets to Cheltenham Brendan concluded.

The man that would be tasked with the reins come New Year's Day 2005 was Charlie Studd. The jockey Brendan had always been a huge fan of but had not had a winner in over a year was now at the helm for this mammoth task.

“I thought he was a very stylish rider and a great person. I promised him that he was riding him,” Brendan explained.

“He had been coming in for a long time, riding this horse for work and getting no money so I wasn't about to change on him.”
Brendan arrived in Cheltenham and was of course greeted by one of the many big punters from home that headed to Gloucestershire for racing action at various points in the year.

“You are only making a fool out of yourself Brendan, he’s the only horse in the race that hasn’t won,” the Punter said.

“Well he hasn’t run so it's hard to win and don’t worry about me, it's my money, I own him. Happy New year to you,” Brendan replied.

Unable to leave it there, Brendan added before he walked off “By the way, I believe my horse will win.”
The closing statement was followed by an immediate rolling of the eyes and customary dramatic exhale as the punter brushed off the possibility and walked away.

Brendan would meet a friend and the trainer of second-favourite on the day, Senorita Rumbalita, Alan King. King also informed Brendan of his lack of hope against his horse in the upcoming bumper. After some choice words, the pair parted with a wishing of luck through some perhaps gritted teeth.

“Openide went off at 66/1 and beat Senorita Rumbalita by a neck. I will never forget the way I felt that day.

“I am an emotional person. I was in a really bad place but to think we could breed this horse, get him ready and have him go win a listed race in Cheltenham first time up, I thought that was just phenomenal,” Brendan said.

“He was a special person of a horse but that day … I have had a few winners but that was really momentous. Because of all the emotion of it all, my father wasn’t well at the time but we were all just so ecstatic.”

Years after the shock and glory of winning a listed race, the 3:50 at Cheltenham on New Years Day 2005 that Brendan looks back on so fondly, he is happy to report that Openide still lives with him in his stables to this day, aged 23.