Hilary McLoughlin, a trainer operating with a modest string of 17 horses, is poised to make a significant impact on Ireland’s prestigious Flat racing calendar. Despite her small operation, McLoughlin, who partners with fiancé Martin Ferris, a former jumps jockey, is preparing her six-year-old gelding, Howyoulikethat, for the Group Two Dullingham Park Stakes at Leopardstown this Saturday. This marks a considerable achievement for the trainer, who has never before had a runner on Champions Weekend.
“We’re only a small yard and I’m a restricted trainer. I’ve never had a runner on Champions Weekend, nor did I expect to. I’m lucky I got him and he has improved and improved,” McLoughlin shared, her excitement palpable. Howyoulikethat, a course and distance winner, has shown remarkable improvement since joining McLoughlin’s yard in spring of last year, when he was rated just 62. He comes into the race in peak condition, thriving on a consistent racing schedule.
Ben Coen, who has partnered Howyoulikethat to victory twice, is expected to ride. McLoughlin expressed confidence in their chances, stating, “It’s an uphill task but I’d be confident that we’re not making up numbers. I’d be hoping that he’ll place. If he won, it’d be unreal obviously. The ground will suit him and there’s a lot of positives going into it. It’s great to be rubbing shoulders with all the big trainers but it would be even better to beat them!” The gelding’s odds of 20/1 reflect the competitive nature of the race, featuring formidable opponents from top trainers like Aidan O’Brien and Joseph O’Brien.
Howyoulikethat’s racing style is characterized by his late surge, a trait that has impressed many. “What he loves is a good, fast pace over a mile and a lot of people like his style of running. He looks well beaten a furlong out and he seems to have this kick. In all his races, he’s outpaced. He’s last and you’d be giving him no chance but he flies home,” McLoughlin explained. This come-from-behind running style, however, necessitates a degree of luck and potentially a smaller field to be most effective.
The gelding’s temperament is as noteworthy as his performance. “He’s so tough and he loves racing. The day in Killarney when he won, he was nearly laughing, he loves it, he loves racing. That’s all he wants to do. He’s a very happy horse, a very sweet horse,” she added, highlighting his genuine enthusiasm for the sport.
McLoughlin, who also engages in breaking and pre-training horses for prominent owner JP McManus, has held her trainer’s license for over a decade. While 2022 marked her most successful year, the operation remains a small, dedicated team of two. “We’re not big enough to have staff and we’re not small enough to have a nice lifestyle. It’s 24/7. It could be 360 days of dark days and maybe five days of good days. You’d want to love it,” she candidly admitted. The demanding nature of the profession means that even moments of triumph are often fleeting, quickly followed by the routine challenges of horse management.
The financial stability for the horses comes from the family business, Pied Piper Chemicals, where McLoughlin works in the evenings. “That makes the money and the horses get rid of it all,” she quipped, recalling her time pre-training for the legendary trainer Mouse Morris.
Saturday’s race will see McLoughlin present at the track, a rare occasion as Ferris typically handles racecourse duties. Her personal history as a former showjumper and eventer fuels her passion, though she remains grounded about the prospect of victory. “It’d be brilliant,” she said of winning the €200,000 contest. “I’m so negative now with things that can happen that I can’t even think like that unless it happens. I can’t see why he wouldn’t place with everything in his favour. If it really worked out and he was on his best day then he could potentially win. A nice run would do me but I’d go mad if we won.” McLoughlin’s hope is for a strong showing, with the ultimate dream of a win being an almost unbelievable, yet ardently desired, outcome.
