Stephen's Blog

  • Sep
  • 28
  • 2011

The Changing Place

The Changing Place   By Stephen Dwyer  As October dawns, the mists of autumn will soon pass to the white of winter. Schooling grounds get softer as the nights close in and the countdown to the new National Hunt...

  • Sep
  • 13
  • 2011

King Kauto

King Kauto By Stephen Dwyer Camberley Heath Golf Club is located about 40 miles west of London, the hundred year old course is said to be as challenging as it is visually stunning. Clive Smith, better known as the owner...

  • Sep
  • 13
  • 2011

A Man Apart

A Man Apart by Stephen Dwyer By the time he was three years old, Barry Connell knew what he wanted from life. His father Patrick brought his little boy to race meeting every week, after which Barry desired nothing more...

  • Sep
  • 13
  • 2011

Whip Rule

Whip Rule By Stephen Dwyer The weather in 1974 was truly woeful. 150 mph winds were recorded in Co. Down and there was a sparse harvest later in the year. The agricultural industry was on its knees, the cattle market had...

  • Sep
  • 09
  • 2011

St Leger Preview

St Leger Preview By Stephen Dwyer First run in 1776, the same year that the United States declared their independence, the St. Leger is the last and longest of the classics. The race is open to entire colts and filles...

  • Aug
  • 29
  • 2011

Sundance

Sundance By Stephen Dwyer As you would expect, JP McManus is an exceptionally busy man. Most millionaires are. Yet, at his Martinstown estate, he takes all the time in the world to be the perfect host. JP fits our interview...

  • Aug
  • 21
  • 2011

Great Expectations

Great Expectations By Stephen Dwyer At the turn of this century, a snapshot of British racecourses revealed that 59 racecourses were currently open for business. Coincidentally, 59 other courses had closed during the previous 100 years. Manchester, Birmingham, Northampton, Gatwick...

  • Aug
  • 05
  • 2011

Hayley's Comet

Hayley’s Comet   By Stephen Dwyer   Hayley Turner is not a jockey. Politically speaking of course. The word “jockey” is a 16thcentury Northern English or Scots colloquial of the name “John” which diminutively became “jock”. A jockey was...

  • Jul
  • 21
  • 2011

2011 King George

2011 King George   By Stephen Dwyer  This year’s King George is a triumvirate heavyweight free for all. Workforce Vs St Nicholas Abbey Vs. Rewilding. Two Derby winners and a smashing Ballydoyle colt will contest what promises to be...

  • Jul
  • 14
  • 2011

The Quiet Man

The Quiet Man By Stephen Dwyer Adorning the mantelpiece in Colm Murphy’s sitting room are two slightly dulled sliver trophies. Angular in shape, it is only on closer inspection that the inscriptions read “Supreme Novices' Hurdle Winner 2004 - Brave...

  • Jul
  • 14
  • 2011

A stellar character

A stellar character By Stephen Dwyer If you follow the concept of star signs, you may know that those born on April 1st are born under the sign of Aries. This is the first sign of the zodiac, Aries individuals...

  • Jul
  • 14
  • 2011

Fethard’s Sea Warrior

Fethard’s Sea Warrior By Stephen Dwyer At last count, there were 60,000 families in Ireland with the surname Murphy. This easily makes it the most common surname in the country. In the USA, the latest census revealed five times this...

  • Jul
  • 14
  • 2011

E = mc2

 E = mc2 By Stephen Dwyer 2005 was not all that long ago, six short years, yet it seems like an age. At Cheltenham that year, Kicking King won the Gold Cup, Hardy Eustace the Champion Hurdle and in Aintree...

  • Jun
  • 20
  • 2011

Dutch Proverbs

Dutch Proverbs By Stephen Dwyer In the build up to Royal Ascot, Aidan O’ Brien was a runaway 1/2 favourite to claim the meeting’s leading trainer title. He was a skinny price to do so, no question. Only marginally better...

  • Jun
  • 17
  • 2011

All The Queen's Horses

All The Queen’s Horses By Stephen Dwyer The Queen puts careful thought into the naming of her racehorses. As one would expect, almost all of them are highly personalised. “My Kingdom Of Fife”, “Earl Marshal” and of course Carlton House...

About Stephen

I am a 24 year-old from Ireland. By day I am an IT Manager but I spend most of my free time researching, watching, thinking and writing about horseracing. I hold an honours degree in Computer Science but regret not studying journalism in college.

In January of 2010, I made a resolution to follow my ambition of becoming a horse racing journalist. As I have no journalism qualifications or knowledge of the media, I set up an online blog. Since then I have written one article for my blog each week. I entered the competition to see how I compare on a national level and for the opportunity of having my thoughts about horse racing reach a wider audience. Nothing ventured, nothing gained.

My interest in horse racing comes from a very early age when my Grandfather bought a three-socked foal who became a very useful mare. He called her "Windy Bee" after a successful greyhound he owned in the 1960's. The mare won five times including her bumper, over hurdles and fences before she was sold after my Grandfather died. Windy Bee kindled a flame for me and horse racing that I don't think will ever go out.

All aspects of sport interest me, particularly the human element. I like to know the little details and eat trivia (Johnny Murtagh has set up a boxing club in Co. Kildare, Ruby Walsh took "Gregory" as his confirmation name) which share them with the reader. For me writing about the finer details is just as important as the main story, the two go hand in hand. Aside from horse racing, I am heavily involved in the GAA, For the past three years I am the secretary of our club, Erin's Own but think I was only drafted in because I can use a computer and the chairman can't!