Davison Keeping It Simple

Killarkin Stud has a rich history that Jack Davison knows well.  Living in a cottage next to the stables named A1 after the foundation mare that helped to build the place is an everyday reminder of the success that has gone before him.

His grandfather Walton Davison purchased the farm in the late 1950s from where, among others, he bred Group 1 winners Hot Spark (Ire) and Steel Heart (Ire) who–at 72,000gns and 71,000gns, respectively–were the highest-priced colts of their generation, putting Killarkin Stud right to the top of the consignors' list at the yearling sales of 1973, and certainly not for the last time.

Incidentally, both colts were by Habitat who has become widely regarded as one of the greatest broodmare sires in recent history and who Walton, together with his great friend Tim Rogers, was responsible for syndicating: a concept which, in the early 1970s, was way ahead of the curve.

A famed veterinarian, Walton Davison was a master at getting 'tricky' mares in foal, an expertise that served him well when it came to his own broodmare band which included blue hens A1 (GB) and Garvey Girl (GB) and was apparently enhanced by other people's 'infertile' cast-offs.

Jack Davison, who takes Walton as his middle name, sadly never got to meet the grandfather he knows so much about but he's been told he shares his obsessive nature, and on entering Killarkin Stud now one has the feeling that no stone has been left unturned.

“The yard is cleaner than my bedroom,” he jokes. “I just like things done a certain way.”

Often equipped with a cheeky grin more akin to a scrum half than a racehorse trainer, it is no surprise to learn that Davison was a talented rugby player in his schooldays but “when the other lads got too big” it was horse racing that became the focus for this sporting enthusiast.

A graduate of Equine Science at UCD, Davison spent his university summers in Kentucky at Gerry Dilger's Dromoland Farm as well as at Lane's End Farm, and worked part-time during term time at Shadwell's Derrinstown Stud. Two years on the Godolphin Flying Start course followed.

“In that bubble, surrounded by the very best trainers and breeders in the world, I took notes on everything,” he says. “I probably wrote down the entire syllabus. You see, when I'm into something I make it intense because I want to get the most out of it.”

The diligent student went on to work for Jim Bolger, or simply “The Boss” as he refers to him–a moniker rarely discarded by those who have served under Bolger's tutelage. “It was a tough station after the Flying Start but I wanted [to] get right back to the coal face. I love working and it was hard going but a real-world foundation to training in Ireland,” Davison says.

With a CV that reads like a who's who of the Thoroughbred industry, Davison also worked for Gai Waterhouse in Australia before returning to his birthplace to work for breeze-up consignor Brendan Holland of Grove Stud, whom he credits most for the processes he uses in his training today.

“Maybe it was because I had so many ideas and had learned many ways of doing things that my time at Grove came just at the right point, when I needed some clarity,” he reflects. “I'm talking about things like the importance of routine, feeding and doing the basics well over and over. I tuned into those kinds of fundamentals at Grove and I suppose I base my training regime on them.”

When Davison initially returned to Killarkin Stud in 2016 he was prepping his parents' yearlings for the sales and, given his family's rich history in breeding and consigning, perhaps this would have been the most logical career option.

“Breeding or consigning would have been the more natural route, but I was born competitive and always wanted to win. My head was saying breeding, but my heart was saying racing. That was where the passion was, I just loved seeing horses at their work,” he says.

It is a passion that is plain to see and with a sense that whatever Davison put his mind to would be a success, it turns out that he wasn't bad at consigning either. Among the crop of yearlings in 2016 was a homebred Elzaam (Aus) colt out of Big Swifty (Ire) who, at €95,000, topped the second day of Tattersalls Ireland's September Yearling Sale and, from a covering fee of €3,500 was a huge return on investment. That sales topper went on to be a smart maiden winner at Naas for Adrian Keatley named London Icon (Ire), achieving a rating of 103 at three before being sold to Hong Kong where he remains competitive. It was this early association with London Icon that triggered what was to come.

Davison says, “I used to hand-walk him every day and he was such a machine to work, such a hardy horse. I remember hand-walking him around the field and thinking 'I'd love to put a saddle on your back,' and the next year his half-sister came along and I thought 'well, I'm going training if you're coming down the line.' We came to realise London Icon was pretty fast so that definitely added to the incentive to go training.”

That half-sister was Black Magic Woman (Ire) (Camacho {GB}), who fittingly afforded the fledging trainer with his first winner, a competitive maiden at Dundalk.

Homebred fillies provided the kindling that Davison needed to get going and while a high percentage of the horses in his yard today are owned or leased to him by his parents, it was a filly he bought at the sales for just €15,000 that ultimately paid for the installation of his gallop.

“I started on a restricted licence for two months and had two fillies. One that never won but was placed loads of times and the other we bought for €15,000, came third first time out and we sold for good money, really good profit. Her name was Rayita (Ire). Me being me, that was all capital to reinvest. I find the way I get the best out of myself is to put myself under pressure. So, every penny we got was capital and with it I thought 'right, I'm going to put a full gallop in and kick on with getting my full licence and try to do this thing properly, professionally and see what happens.'”

That initial investment appears to be paying off with a stable that is on the up, growing from just “six or seven” horses in 2019 to 20 in 2020. Still a small stable, one can't help thinking that Davison is punching well above his weight. Among the group of six or seven last year were “box office” horses, as he refers to them, Fresnel (GB) (Sea The Stars {Ire}), who ran a strong fourth in the G3 Tattersalls Musidora S. at York and dual black-type earner Black Magic Woman. Both now rated in the high 90s, they remain in training this year.

Careful not to “jinx” any big plans he has for the year to come, Davison explains, “Fresnel won first time out in Dundalk at massive odds. By Sea The Stars, she has a good pedigree behind her which was a big help and I'm grateful to the McStays for sending her to me; they took a chance on a rookie and it remains to be seen whether it's really paid off but they're giving me another year with her. She's been fourth in four black-type races. It would be lovely if we could be back at Royal Ascot with both Fresnel and Black Magic Woman, but I wouldn't be a fan of running a horse in the big meeting just for the sake of it. I want them be competitive and to feel good about themselves.”

He continues, “It's also fantastic to be training for Garrett Freyne. I've got five for him now including Outside Inside (Ire), who won in early January. When she came to me she was regressive and now she's progressive. Everyone in the yard has helped turn her around and she could be a filly for the Lincoln. We might just sneak her in.”

Another filly he hopes to improve is a daughter of Showcasing (GB), Shorter Skirt (GB), whom he purchased at last year's Tattersalls Horses-in-Training Sale on behalf of his late aunt, Mary Davison, who died unexpectedly at the beginning of the year and was the co-breeder of the Group 2 winner and sire Ivawood (Ire) (Zebedee {GB}). With some willing from above no doubt, the Showcasing filly will now compete in Mary's memory for a syndicate made up of her friends.

It is clear that every bit of success that Davison has had to date he's worked hard for but he's quick to reference the help of others and most importantly his family.

“It's a family thing,” he says. “When I started out there were a few homebred fillies that [my parents] had bred that weren't worth a whole lot but we quite liked them so I was like 'well, we're not giving them away. I'll train them'. Glow Worm (Ire) went to the sales and we bought her back for a grand. She might not be the prettiest or perfect in front, but she can gallop. She was placed five times last year and ran second and third to some really good fillies. Madaket Mystery (Ire) is another who was third in three maidens–good maidens–and to be placed in a maiden in Ireland more often than not you might have won it in England. The competition running in those maidens is fierce.

“Of course, a place is not the same as a win, but it says something about you and people take note. In Ireland, the more races you can get placed in the better and eventually the winners will come I'm sure.”

Davison has not had too long to wait given that he's already been in the winner's circle this year, and with 50% of his runners in 2019 coming home with a place, people are certainly beginning to take note.

So, what's the key to it all? “Simplicity,” he says. “The more I do this, the more relaxed I've become because I've concentrated on keeping things simple. I'll then tinker with a bit of detail because of course that's important, but the main thing is keeping everything simple. We turn everything out here, we feed them well, we keep them warm and put good riders on their back. We just always want them to be happy in their work and exercise. The happier they are the more they do for you.”

When asked what the ultimate goal is, quick as a flash “champion trainer” is the response, but in customarily understated style Davison is swift to backtrack.

“I'm a realist though and in reality, I just want to do as well as I can with the horses I have,” he says. “Of course, the competitor in me wants to train 100 horses one day which means more winners and to me that's more fun and will bring more satisfaction. Right now though, we are busy putting together a nice team of staff and horses so that's where my focus is.  I've got a long way to go but I'd like to think that we've made a decent start.”

And if he continues as he's begun, Jack Walton Davison might just be a name we see in lights one day. Undoubtedly his namesake would be very proud.