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Thomas Coyle has wasted little time in establishing himself as one of Ireland's most promising up-and-coming trainers.
He decided to focus more on his own operation, a decision that has paid handsome dividends.
Tuesday, 12 May 2026
Pictured: Thomas Coyle
Still not yet 40, Batterstown-based Thomas Coyle has wasted little time in establishing himself as one of Ireland's most promising up-and-coming trainers.
With ten winners on the Flat and five more over jumps, his small stable goes from strength to strength, and what is even more impressive is that the 39-year-old is somehow managing to juggle his daily duties with being a selector for the Blackhall Gaels football team.
Coyle learnt his craft with Eddie Cawley but when the Covid-19 pandemic hit, he decided to focus more on his own operation, a decision that has paid handsome dividends.
"We've about 12 or 14 in training at the moment," Coyle said. "We have 20 boxes and I would like to expand but, at the same time, I wouldn't like to go too big either. I would prefer to have 30 horses where 20 of them have a chance of winning races rather than 40 or 50 who don't.
"I couldn't speak highly enough of Eddie. He's some man - incredibly patient. He leaves no stone unturned. It's great to see him get a real nice horse now in Come Walk With Me, that's the one he's been waiting for all his life."
Coyle actually sold the seriously smart Ataboycharlie to Cawley before he ever ran. He might only have won once from 13 starts but that doesn't tell the whole story as he was poised to plunder a big handicap hurdle at the Fairyhouse Winter Festival last November before cruelly crashing out at the last.
Coyle was an amateur jockey himself and rode point-to-point winners but training was his true calling in life and it proved to be a fairytale first chapter when the first ever runner in his own name won at Kilbeggan.
That was the Paul Power-ridden Dunroe Boy, who landed a 3m handicap hurdle at 16-1.
More recently Coyle has sold some of his best stock, including Nobotheratall, who finishing third in a Wexford bumper before being bought by Tristan Davidson and going on to win a bumper at Carlisle.
Coyle, whose idol growing up was Barry Geraghty, still has plenty of talent at his own disposal and last month Merisi Diamond landed a 7f handicap at the Curragh under Billy Lee.
Keep him in your notebook for the Galway Races this summer.
Coyle said: "We've put him out in the field and we'll wait for a nice handicap at Ballybrit for him, when the ground gets a bit softer."
When asked for a horse to follow over the coming weeks, Coyle had no hesitation whatsoever in nominating Lunar Landscape.
"He's going to be a nice horse over hurdles this summer," the trainer said. "He's had three runs over jumps and we've got him handicapped so hopefully there might be a race or two in him. You never know. Fingers crossed."
Don't say you weren't told!
Racing Idol: Barry Geraghty
First Winner: Dunroe Boy at Kilbeggan in 2015
Career Highlight: Selective Power winning at the Curragh in 2024
Horse To Follow: Lunar Landscape
With ten winners on the Flat and five more over jumps, his small stable goes from strength to strength, and what is even more impressive is that the 39-year-old is somehow managing to juggle his daily duties with being a selector for the Blackhall Gaels football team.
Coyle learnt his craft with Eddie Cawley but when the Covid-19 pandemic hit, he decided to focus more on his own operation, a decision that has paid handsome dividends.
"We've about 12 or 14 in training at the moment," Coyle said. "We have 20 boxes and I would like to expand but, at the same time, I wouldn't like to go too big either. I would prefer to have 30 horses where 20 of them have a chance of winning races rather than 40 or 50 who don't.
"I couldn't speak highly enough of Eddie. He's some man - incredibly patient. He leaves no stone unturned. It's great to see him get a real nice horse now in Come Walk With Me, that's the one he's been waiting for all his life."
Coyle actually sold the seriously smart Ataboycharlie to Cawley before he ever ran. He might only have won once from 13 starts but that doesn't tell the whole story as he was poised to plunder a big handicap hurdle at the Fairyhouse Winter Festival last November before cruelly crashing out at the last.
Coyle was an amateur jockey himself and rode point-to-point winners but training was his true calling in life and it proved to be a fairytale first chapter when the first ever runner in his own name won at Kilbeggan.
That was the Paul Power-ridden Dunroe Boy, who landed a 3m handicap hurdle at 16-1.
More recently Coyle has sold some of his best stock, including Nobotheratall, who finishing third in a Wexford bumper before being bought by Tristan Davidson and going on to win a bumper at Carlisle.
Coyle, whose idol growing up was Barry Geraghty, still has plenty of talent at his own disposal and last month Merisi Diamond landed a 7f handicap at the Curragh under Billy Lee.
Keep him in your notebook for the Galway Races this summer.
Coyle said: "We've put him out in the field and we'll wait for a nice handicap at Ballybrit for him, when the ground gets a bit softer."
When asked for a horse to follow over the coming weeks, Coyle had no hesitation whatsoever in nominating Lunar Landscape.
"He's going to be a nice horse over hurdles this summer," the trainer said. "He's had three runs over jumps and we've got him handicapped so hopefully there might be a race or two in him. You never know. Fingers crossed."
Don't say you weren't told!
Racing Idol: Barry Geraghty
First Winner: Dunroe Boy at Kilbeggan in 2015
Career Highlight: Selective Power winning at the Curragh in 2024
Horse To Follow: Lunar Landscape