Amond brothers have spent a lifetime in racing
Ian 'Busty' Amond. He and his brother Niall have spent their lives working in the racing industry Photo: Matt Browne/Sportsfile
This is surely a fair question?
Outside of racing circles has anyone ever heard of brothers, Ian (Busty) and Niall (Bubba) Amond?
Probably not too many but what is certain is that for decades the two brothers, who hail from the Milford area, have been at the coal-face of what is so much good about Irish racing.
Ian is Assistant Trainer to Gordon Elliott who, in the run in to Cheltenham 2026, is leading the Irish Trainers Championship.
Niall is currently working with Emmet Mullins who saddles up to six horses in Cheltenham next week. Before that he was Travelling Head Lad with Jessica Harrington. He has been associated with some of the best National Hunt and Flat horses ever including such icons as Jezki (2014 Champion Hurdle winner and Sizing John (Cheltenham Gold Cup winner 2017). In 2023 he was the Irish Thoroughbred Industry Employee Head Lad Award Winner.
He worked in Jessica Harrington’s stable for 14-15 years which meant that where the trainer went then Niall followed. He also has another string to his bow.
“I drove Ruby Walshe for about ten years. That was a full-time job. It was great. He was at the height of his powers. He was going between Willie Mullins and Paul Nichols. That was in 2001 and up to about 2010. He was juggling two jobs across the Irish Sea. I always got on great with him.”
From an early age the two brothers couldn’t avoid horses.
“My father worked in Milford Stud. My two uncles Benny and Podge (Podge has passed away). They were in Milford Stud and that is where I got my love for the horses,” agreed Niall.
He has a young family now and has moved closer to the Emmet Mullins yard where he doesn’t have to travel too far for his day to day work.
“It gives me a bit more time off,” Niall says.
Of course his work will take him to Cheltenham this week. His affection for the meeting is huge where his first time to lead in a winner in the Cotswold Hills came when Bostons Angel under Robbie Power won the RSA Chase for trainer Jessica Harrington.
No doubt he will bump into his brother, Ian, over the course of the week. The pair have unusual nicknames. Niall became Bubba 36 years ago when he was sixteen years of age. Why? He doesn’t know.
In contrast, Ian has a clear recollection of where Busty came from.
“In Willie Mullins yard. I used to get nosebleeds all the time and when a horse bleeds it is known as bursting so I got known through that,” said the horseman, who went to Ballinabranna NS and Carlow CBS before getting a place in a racing apprentice school. After that, he spent three years in the Willie Mullins yard whom he eventually moved away from.
“I went working in a few small yards and rode a few amateur races. I had ridden a few winners for Willie in bumpers. Not too many. I went working for a friend of mine in the Curragh, Pat Morris.”
From there it might be strange to say it now but there seems to have been a natural progression to the Gordon Elliott yard.
“I was always friendly with Gordon in bumpers say nearly 25 years ago. I ended up working with Gordon through that,” he recalled.
A number of Ian’s friends ended up working for Elliott as well.
“I know Gordon for years. We are the same age. A lot of the boys who are in Gordon’s now we were working together in different yards 25 years ago.
“There could be 70 people working in Gordon’s yard but there could be 8-10 of us who know each other since we were eighteen or nineteen years of age. It is good that way and there is plenty of experience.” As Assistant Trainer, the Carlow horseman has definitely built a career for himself in the Gordon Elliott base, Cullentra House in County Meath.
“I am in the yard every day. Racing most weeks. Gordon’s yard is very busy. You have runners at all the good meetings. Runners in England. In America. It is the right yard to be in. The best tracks. The best meetings. Touch wood he is having a good year and hopefully it stays going and lasts for the next couple of weeks,” says Amond.
Willie Mullins has been the champion trainer for so many years now. There has been disappointment for his biggest rival, Gordon Elliott. The trainer and the entire yard would love to collar a trainer’s championship. Ian is convinced this will happen. Even though Elliott is leading the Trainer’s Championship at the moment, no-one is even contemplating that this could be the year.
“It is something Gordon has said he would love to do and hopefully he will do it someday. It is a long way to go. Willie has been champion now for I don’t know how many years but Gordon is giving it a good go this year. Whether it is this year or some other year he will do it at some stage. Willie is a hard man to get by,” says Ian.
While recent Cheltenham Festivals have been dominated by the Mullins raiders, Gordon Elliott has suffered a measure of disappointment. It was only at the last race of the 2025 festival that the yard had it’s first and only winner where Woodhooh won. Even the winning trainer shed a tear which was probably more relief than joy.
Amond says there are no guarantees at the festival.
“Cheltenham is not easy. You are going over no matter what chances you think you have to get winners and you would like to get one on the board because it takes the pressure off.
“Every race was ticking by lessening the chance of having a winner and it was a big relief for Gordon when he got one. That is the stage. That the margin of success is and if you don’t have a couple of winners people think it is a bad Cheltenham.
“It is not an easy place to go and have 3-4 winners. It is always nice to have one early and it takes away that pressure. Then everything else is a bonus so it is nice to have one early.” So the tape comes up at 1.20pm for the Supreme Novice Hurdle on Tuesday. Four days of great National Hunt Racing. There will be joy, heartbreak and so many emotional moments.
Brighterdaysahead carries the hopes of the Elliott yard in the Champion Hurdle on the opening day. The New Lion trained by Dan Skelton will start favourite. Lossiemouth if he runs in this race will be second favourite with the Elliott representative third in line. Amond is more than hopeful.
She has a great chance but she has let us down twice already in Cheltenham and hopefully it will be third time lucky for her. Brighterdaysahead beat her (Lossiemouth) in the Dublin Racing Festival but you don’t know if they are going for the same race yet,” he cautions.
Like his brother, Niall, Ian has memories of being part of some iconic moments on the race track. Ten years ago, he was part of the yard which saw Don Cossack win the Gold Cup and then who will ever forget the feat of Tiger Roll who won back to back Grand Nationals in 2018 and 2019?
Ian is grateful for the exposure to the sport he received from his parents Ally and Faith Amond.
“We were going racing from the time we were nine, ten, eleven. We got the bug and my father and uncles worked in Milford Stud right beside our home so we were always around horses,” he agrees.
Oldschool Outlaw - She won well in her last two races and is improving all the time. Willie (Mullins) has the odds on favourite in it but Oldschool Outlaw is one of the better horses going over.
Prends Garde A Toi - She will be 12-1 to 14-1 but has a chance. Everything about the race will suit him and he has a good each way chance.
Teahupoo has been there before and has won one already. He is in very good form.
