Mac Swiney

Mac Swiney was ridden in all of his races as a two-year-old by Kevin Manning who married to Jim Bolger's daughter Una. The colt began his racing career by finishing fifth in a maiden race over seven furlongs at the Curragh on 28 June. In the following month he started at odds of 15/2 for a maiden over the same course and distance and recorded his first success as he overtook the Aidan O'Brien-trained favourite Wembley inside the final furlongs and pulled clear to win by one and a half lengths.[5] On 6 August the colt was stepped up in class to contest the Group 3 Tyros Stakes at Leopardstown Racecourse but made little impact as he faded from contention in the last quarter mile and came home ninth of the ten runners behind Military Style. Despite his poor run at Leopardstown Mac Swiney was moved up in class again to contest the Group 2 Futurity Stakes over seven furlong on soft ground at the Curragh sixteen days later. The highly regarded maiden winner Cadillac started favourite ahead of Van Gogh with Mac Swiney starting a 28/1 outsider in an eight-runner field. After racing in second place behind the front-running Ontario he stayed on well in the closing stages, gained the advantage in the final strides and won by half a length from Cadillac.[6] After the race Una Manning said "We're delighted with that run. He did it well on ground he wouldn't really appreciate... When he won here the last time dad thought he was his Derby horse. We're very pleased with him, he was very good. It seemed to be a strong race today."[7]

Mac Swiney was elevated to the highest class for the Group 1 National Stakes at the Curragh on 13 September but never looked likely to win and came home eighth, beaten just over eight lengths by the winner Thunder Moon. On 24 October the colt was sent to England for the Group 1 Vertem Futurity Trophy over one mile on heavy ground at Doncaster Racecourse. The Autumn Stakes winner One Ruler started favourite while Mac Swiney (the only other Group race winner involved) went off at odds of 12/1 in an eight-runner field. Mac Swiney tracked the leaders as Cobh set the pace, before moving up to dispute the lead in the last quarter mile, gaining the advantage in the closing stages and winning by three quarters of a length from One Ruler.[8] Jim Bolger, who was winning his first Group 1 for more than three years said I've been regarding him as my Derby horse since he first went to the races, and after today that opinion is not about to change." Commenting on the connection between the horse and the man after whom he was named he added "I must have known he was good back in January when I called him Mac Swiney because it wouldn't have been good for me or anyone around here to name a horse after a Cork man which wasn't capable of delivering, especially such an important Cork man. He was one of our outstanding patriots, and I'm thrilled for his memory and his extended family of today that this horse was able to go back to 100 years after his death and win like he did."[9]