Darren Bunyan's Gigantic 2023 Objectives

"It's been like a building process for us and the horses, as well." A lot of our older horses have gone on to second careers, and we have a large number of yearlings brought in this year with some new owners. Moreover, some existing owners have reinvested in yearlings.

"It looks like we are going to have our biggest number of 2-year-olds next year. There is an awful lot to look forward to. We probably have the nicest bunch of yearlings that I can remember.

"There is a lot of excitement around the yard at the moment." "Everybody has been looking forward to next year very much," he said.

The Jumbo Moment

With many new horses lined up to train at Bunyan's stables, there is one particular talk of the town: a chestnut colt called J J Jumbo, for whom Bunyan has high hopes.

"If he were a human, he'd be your best friend." Everybody who meets him loves him. He's a character in all ways. He's a beautiful horse to work with; nothing seems to ever phase him—he's just a really solid horse.

"Last winter was a work in progress with him going to the carnival." I sent him out mainly for the climate, and I've always believed that he's a horse that will go on the dirt, which is unusual for a European horse and particularly with his breeding.

"I was 100% sure that J.J. (Jumbo) would go on the surface even though he hadn't run on it, but he developed a huge amount during the last carnival with the climate being to our benefit.

"When he came home, I gave him a short break, but we had one of our best summers in years, and he went from a really good climate in Dubai to a really good climate here." "He is a pure powerhouse now," said the Irish trainer.

Winning on home ground

The William Hill Best Odds Guaranteed Handicap win at Dundalk over 7 furlongs was very memorable for the softly spoken Irishman. However, Sultan Saeed Mohammed Harib Alfalahi's 3YO hasn't been delivering the expected wins, finishing tenth at Dundalk recently.

"He's just been out of luck the last couple of runs he's had." That's racing for you. Not everything works every day.

If you go back to his run in France, that was a huge run. It must have appeared insane to send him to France.but he beat them just the same.

"He went out and he really stepped up." He was only caught near the line that day. He's won in Ireland, which is one of the most competitive countries in the world for racing, so he's able to back up good runs.

"As I say, every horse has its day." When things didn't go right for him on his last day of racing, even though it was a good run, he was defeated. It was a run, but we didn't see the real J.J. at all on the night. "Everything has to fall your way, or it will cost you at the finish line," said Bunyan.

J.J. Jumbo Visits Dubai

The trainer is no stranger to racing at Meydan, having brought many horses to Dubai in the past decade.

"J. J. Jumbo is aimed at just three races so far. He will stick to the dirt this year when he goes out there.

"There's a beautiful programme for him there this year." The races are well  spaced, and everything seems to have fallen into place.

"I am very sure he'd be strongly competitive out there this year," said the Irishman with quiet confidence.

Bunyan Wishes For An Easy Victory In Dubai

The competition and the pressure at the carnival can be taxing, and with so much strategizing—from what horses to take to considering potential riders, such as Robert Whearty or others—Bunyan has a lot on his mind.

"The opposition, if you could get them all to stay at home and let us just run, that would be great!

"There are a lot of things to factor in." It's a big responsibility for people who go there and look after these horses. They do a fantastic job out there. I always fly ahead of any horses we send. I love seeing the horses arrive and seeing how they have travelled. For me, that's very important. If you stay at home, it could be the wrong thing to do at the time.

"Safe travel is one of the most important parts of a horse's journey." "It sets up the whole Carnival—how your horse has travelled and what you do with him going forward from there," said the handler who has travelled to Champions and won on the top racecourses in the world.

"You know every jockey in the world gets it wrong at some stage, but Rob seems to get things right a lot more." "The owner, Sultan, and myself, we'll obviously talk about it before then."

Speaking of J.J. Jumbo's owner, Sultan Saeed Mohammid Harib Alfalahi, he said, "He is a very enthusiastic and knowledgeable owner and breeder who loves his horses." He's from Dubai and is a great owner to have in the yard. He's been a good friend. In addition to J.J. Jumbo, he also has some gorgeous yearlings with us for the coming year. "We're very much looking forward to having a big year of success for him next year as he grows his operation internationally."

In discussing his plans for the carnival, Bunyan reveals that there is more to J.J. Jumbo's career than currently meets the eye.

"J. J. is a horse that I believe will be competitive in the carnival." He could run in other countries. We're not just aiming for the carnival; there's a big international programme for horses like him.

"J. J. likes to jump and travel; he's a six- to seven-furlong horse." He has a huge amount of speed when he gets out and gets going. He's a hard horse to pass when things go right for him.

Similar to Father, Similar to Son

The passion for the King of Sports grew as the multiple Group and Listed race-winning Irish trainer watched his father train as he grew up.

"My dad worked in racing for over 60 years. I spent my childhood out in the stable yard, and I have never been interested in anything else than horses. I was glad when I got to the age that I could leave school and spend all my time out in the yard rather than just mornings, early mornings, and late evenings.

"I suppose I have never known anything else; they have always fascinated me." You could never get bored when you're around a horse because every day is different. It's a process that you will never finish learning. You could work in racing for a hundred years and still learn something new every day until the day you die with them."I've always loved them," said the trainer, reflecting back on his career.

The victories yet to be had

Bunyan has a number of iconic races in mind to win over the next decade.

"I'd love to win any race on World Cup night."That would keep me happy. One race I've always had in my head, mainly because no European trainer has won it, is the Kentucky Derby. I would love to have a horse for that.

"But really, in any Group I tournament worldwide, I would be very keen to give it a shot, but with the right horse."

"I'd love to be chasing big winners all over the world, and I think maybe 60 to 80 horses would be enough," he said.

Going down memory lane

"I was very proud of Hit the Bid the night he won in Dubai. It was a race that meant a lot to me as a small trainer going up on a stage like that. When you stand back and look at the stands, it was amazing. I couldn't speak more highly of it.

"Another race memory I cherish is with my brother. My brother and I went to Cheltenham one year with a horse that I had bought for him. He won the St. Patrick's Day Derby at the Cheltenham Festival. He rode the horse for cancer research. My dad had passed away from cancer many years previously. We won the race on the same day with the whole family present. "That meant a lot to me."

For the globe-trotting Irish trainer, Darren Bunyan, his passion for the sport is evident, but what sets him apart from other trainers is his attention to detail, his love for the experience, and of course his connection with each horse.