Tuesday 10 February 2026 9:29 am Barry Connell: I'm not going to big up my horses anymore, apart from Marine Nationale By: Ed Culham Betting Reporter Barry Connell and Marine Nationale | Credit: Lorraine O'Sullivan/The Jockey Club
A Distinctive Path in Horse Racing
There are remarkably few trainers in the racing world quite like Barry Connell. The former hedge fund manager previously balanced his demanding financial career with riding out six days each week, demonstrating an extraordinary commitment to the sport from the outset.
Born near Leopardstown in south Dublin, Connell didn't learn to ride until his thirties, yet he remarkably accumulated over thirty winners across both the UK and Ireland before securing his training licence just six years ago.
A Different Approach to Training
Much like his unconventional entry into racing, Connell's training methodology stands apart from traditional approaches. At his meticulously designed Boherbaun Stables in Nurney, County Kildare, horses receive precisely the time they require to develop their complete potential.
"Our core mission statement here is to create a career for the horse – it's all about putting the horse at the centre of everything," Connell explains emphatically.
This philosophy permeates every aspect of the yard, which was constructed from scratch eight years ago with this singular focus in mind. A palpable atmosphere of calm and order prevails throughout the facility, achieved through deliberate design choices:
- The elimination of organic materials within the stables
- Courtyard boxes engineered for optimal airflow circulation
- Specially selected Wexford sand on the gallop tracks
- Immaculately maintained beech hedges surrounding the property
As Connell elaborates on his methods, it becomes evident that this systematic order stems from a profoundly analytical mindset – one determined to leave no detail unexamined in competing against, and ultimately defeating, the sport's largest operations despite facing significant numerical disadvantages.
"We're trying to be a niche operator here; we're trying to just have quality horses and give them every opportunity to succeed," Connell states. "The big stables operate on a different basis. We're a small family and we're able to take on all the big guns in Ireland and the UK, which just gives you an extra sense of satisfaction."
He continues passionately: "The whole process is what I enjoy – being down here with the horses in the early morning, seeing them on the gallop and just going into the stables and standing with them. You'll find a lot of people that have worked with horses and go away and do something else feel the pull to come back and work with them, because they are just magic creatures."
Marine Nationale: A Special Connection
Marine Nationale, Connell's stable star and a four-time Grade One winner, occupies a particularly cherished position in his affections. The son of French Navy delivered an emotionally charged victory in last year's Queen Mother Champion Chase at the Cheltenham Festival, occurring just one month after the tragic passing of jockey Michael O'Sullivan – who had piloted him to victory in the Supreme Novices' Hurdle two years earlier.
"It was a very emotional day," Connell recalls with evident feeling. "Michael won his first bumper on him in Punchestown. You could just see the talent he had, so I sat him down one day and said, 'I think you should turn pro'. I put him on Enniskerry to win a Grade Three in Roscommon – his first win in a Graded race – and then he won the Royal Bond and went on to win the Supreme [on Marine Nationale]."
He adds respectfully: "Michael was a tremendous talent, and it was a terrible tragedy what happened. I think it was a great thing racing as a sport rallied around and last year's race [the Supreme] was named after him."
Champion Chase Defence and Fighting Talk
Next month, Marine Nationale will attempt to defend his crown in the prestigious Champion Chase, and as customary, Connell expresses characteristically combative confidence about his prospects, despite two disappointing performances this season.
"He was unlucky the first day [at Leopardstown], on race IQ data he lost 15 lengths with the mistake he made early on and was only beaten half-a-length," Connell analyses. "Last time it was the heaviest ground I've ever seen at Leopardstown. They were extreme conditions and I'd put a line through that run."
He elaborates with conviction: "He's been to Cheltenham twice and he's won on the bridle twice. I think we'll see a different horse again in March. That's not just my opinion; it's backed up by the form book when you look at what he does when he goes there every year."
Regarding the competition, Connell notes: "On official ratings we've five pounds to make up, but several factors will come into play at Cheltenham. We'll get spring ground and there's the Cheltenham factor, so I don't think we've that much ground to make up [with Majborough]."
A Promise to Stop Talking Up Horses – Mostly
Connell, who will also be represented by Eachtotheirown in this year's Supreme Novices' Hurdle, has developed a reputation for enthusiastically promoting his horses' chances. However, he has now pledged to refrain from this practice – with one notable exception.
"People are probably fed up with listening to me bigging up my own horses, and I'm not going to do it again, it's too much stress," Connell admits. "Only for him [Marine Nationale] because I know how good he is. He's not only a once-in-a-lifetime horse, he's a once in 10,000 horse. We're just lucky that he's landed in our yard."
Can Marine Nationale secure another Champion Chase victory next month? There remains one man in Nurney, County Kildare who seemingly cannot envision any alternative outcome.
