Former Premier League striker Kevin Doyle has a new passion in life – breeding racehorses and his love for the sport has taken off since leaving football.
The 40-year-old revealed in an interview with BoyleSports how his life has changed and has compared the dominance of Willie Mullins in jump racing to that of Sir Alex Ferguson to Manchester United.
Willie Mullins is currently the 1/16 favourite to be this year’s top trainer, according to the latest Cheltenham odds via the bookmaker – demonstrating his superiority in the sport.
Doyle said: “I think in every sport you have dominance, whether it’s in football with Man City and, before that, Manchester United were dominant for how many years.
“For most of my childhood as a Man United fan, we were winning everything, you know, one man started leading it all in Sir Alex Ferguson.
“It just goes like that, I think it doesn’t last forever. Willie at the moment has an unbelievable setup and a team around them of people as well.”
Though Doyle is a big fan of the Irish magician’s way to train winners, he doesn’t think Willie’s dominance will last for a lifetime.
He added: “Dominance just happens in sports, it will be cyclical, it might last another 10 or 15 years and it might annoy a lot of people but things don’t last forever.
“But it’s just human nature, it won’t last forever. He’s got the hunger and the desire to make sure to try and prove every year and get better and better and try and make it last as long as possible.”
Doyle has also revealed how football teams can use a trip to next week’s Cheltenham Festival for team bonding, with mixed success.
The ex-Reading and Wolves striker said: “My first year at Reading in 2005/06 was my first trip to Cheltenham, we were going very well at the time. We were basically promoted to the Premier League and it was the day out to celebrate.
“It was only three days at the time, Cheltenham, from what I remember, and we have gone many years since, with Reading and different clubs.
“When things are going well, we used to go with a day out for team bonding, and when things were going poorly it was an excuse to go to the manager and say maybe we need a day away to get a bit of team bonding to try turn the ship around, but that never seemed to usually work!”
Doyle has entered the world of horse breeding, a rarely trodden path for former footballers and has bred a number of horses, including Baby Kate for Willie Mullins. Doyle revealed how his early years as a player for Reading and Ireland set him on a path to the racing industry.
He said: “Yeah, we had plenty of players over the years with that Reading team. Plenty of lads interested.
“Stephen Hunt was one of them and has had shares and horses and syndicates, I think over the years. Shane Long was another one thinking of the Irish lads, Noel Hunt as well. We all had a dog together with the assistant manager Wally Downes which won the Puppy Derby. Bush Paddy it was called.
“With the Ireland team as well, we’ll be home with Ireland and John O’Shea was a big one to set up syndicates with the Ireland team and get a few of us involved over the years with different horses.
“With Ireland, maybe we’d get an afternoon off and we’d go to Leopardstown or the Curragh together.”
Ferguson’’s main chance of a big win at next week’s Cheltenham Festival will be with either Protektorat 16/1 or Hitman 25/1 in the £375,000 Ryanair Chase..
Meanwhile, Redknapp will be hoping that his charge, Shakem Up’Arry can win from odds of 20/1 in the Ultima Handicap Chase. British and Irish trainers will go head to head at the Festival, competing for the Prestbury Cup, with former Irish international Doyle revealing fond memories of trips to the Festival.
The ex-Reading and Wolves striker said: “My first year at Reading in 2005/06 was my first trip to Cheltenham, we were going very well at the time. We were basically promoted to the Premier League and it was the day out to celebrate.
“It was only three days at the time, Cheltenham, from what I remember, and we have gone many years since, with Reading and different clubs.
“When things are going well, we used to go with a day out for team bonding, and when things were going poorly it was an excuse to go to the manager and say maybe we need a day away to get a bit of team bonding to try turn the ship around, but that never seemed to usually work!”
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