John 'Shark' Hanlon is one of Ireland's most promising horse trainers, having produced over 30 winners in the past two years. He is also an avid Kilkenny hurling fan and played with his local club Barrow Rangers in his younger days. Since being granted his trainer's licence in March 2007, John 'Shark' Hanlon has enjoyed a meteoric rise in the world of horseracing with more than 30 winners to his name. Hanlon's success is all the more remarkable considering that his background is in farming rather than racing. But having learned his trade with the famous Mullins family in Gowran, he has become a successful trainer in his own right and is regarded as one of the brightest prospects on the Irish racing scene. "I had been a cattle dealer before I got into the horses," the affable 42-year-old explains. "I'm a latecomer to this game, but I suppose it's better late than never. I'm extremely grateful to the Mullins family for teaching me everything I know about racing. Tony and Paddy, in particular, have been massive influences on me. I always had a couple of Point to Point horses in training with them before I got into it full-time myself. "I also know George Mullins very well, having worked for his company, Equine Express, for a spell as a lorry driver. And even now, Ger and Mary Mullins allow me to use their gallops, which are only 300 yards up the road from me. They too have played a big part in the success I've had to date." John has converted his old cattle sheds into stables on his farm which is situated between Paulstown and Gowran, not far from the Kilkenny-Carlow border. There, he and his partner Rachel O'Neill, who is a daughter of former jockey and trainer Ronnie O'Neill, train 35 horses all year round. The farm also consists of a large yard, a two-and-a-half furlong gallop with both fences and hurdles, and a straight. John and Rachel have an 18-month-old son called Paddy, who is already showing an interest in the horses! John employs 10 staff at his Kilkenny yard, including Pat Curran who is Head Man. "I count myself very fortunate to have such good staff who know everything there is to know about working with horses. Our Head Man Pat Curran's father Matt rode for Paddy Mullins, while his brother Sean rode last year's Scottish Grand National winner," he says. Hanlon has trained winners in both national hunt and on the flat with his first racecourse success coming in April 2007 when Shaimaa, which was saddled by Patrick Mullins (Willie's son) and owned by Tony Durkan, won in Cork. His second winner was the Timmy Donovan-owned Turk's Wood at Navan, while he had a notable double later that year when Shaimaa and Melon Delta won on the same day in Tramore and Kilbeggan respectively. And despite the huge distance between the venues, 'Shark' managed to take in both races. Among the other winners John has had are Costeau, Darenjan, Trucker's Delight and Luska Lad. Darenjan has won four races to date, including the Cork International Airport Hotel Handicap Hurdle at Galway last August. Trucker's Delight was also successful at the same Galway meet, while in October, Luska Lad became the first four-year-old to win three bumpers in the same year, having enjoyed successes at Kilbeggan, Fairyhouse and Galway. Hanlon has also had winners in England and on Dundalk's new all-weather track. He was also named Tramore Trainer of the Year for 2008. And needless to say, he is hoping 2009 will be just as successful. "If this year turns out to be as successful as 2008, I'll be more than happy. We had great success in Galway with Darenjan and Trucker's Delight, while Luska Land entered the record books as the only four-year-old to win three bumpers in the one year. We're always aiming to improve, but having said that, I'd be very happy if we could match last year's achievements," he says. John's other sporting passion is hurling. He played with the Barrow Rangers club in Paulstown and tries to attend as many of their matches as possible. He also keeps a close eye on the fortunes of neighbouring club Young Irelands, for whom DJ Carey, Pat O'Neill and Charlie Carter all hurled. "Young Irelands had a great team a few years ago, but have gone back a bit since DJ and Pat O'Neill, who is a second cousin of mine, retired," he explains. "Charlie Carter is still going strong and was instrumental in keeping them up senior last year. I would know all the Young Irelands players, and hopefully they will have a better run this year." Standing at 6'4", John was a powerful presence on the hurling field during his younger days and helped Barrow Rangers to win a minor championship. His brothers Martin and William are still actively involved with the club which is currently competing at intermediate level. Barrow Rangers won their fourth county junior hurling championship two years ago, following on from their successes in 1982, '88 and '90. They had two players on the Kilkenny minor team that snatched victory from the jaws of defeat against Galway in last year's All-Ireland final, centre back Richard Doyle and midfielder Cathal Kenny. "The word in the club is that they have a very strong minor team this year and have high hopes of doing well," adds John. The up-and-coming horse trainer is also an avid Kilkenny fan and has nothing but praise for Brian Cody and his all-conquering players. "This is probably the greatest hurling team of all-time and they are a joy to watch when they're in full flight. Brian Cody is an exceptional manager in that he always seems to get the best out of the players. He still clearly has the appetite for more success and it's going to take something special from the other teams if they are to be denied the four-in-a-row this year. "If I could get my horses to be a successful as the Kilkenny team, I would be very happy," he jokingly concludes. Tweet

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