‘Thick and fast’: Limerick teenager races ahead in bloodstock industry

SEAN Freney, 18, may not have been born into the world of horse racing, but that has not stopped him from making a name for himself as a promising young bloodstock agent.

Launching Sean Freney Bloodstock in February 2025, the Kilmallock native has found early business success in the racing industry, buying, selling and valuing thoroughbred horses on behalf of owners, trainers and investors.

The University of Limerick equine science student said the racing world was not one he was born into, but rather one he was first introduced to during after-school visits to his grandparents' house.

“My grandmother lived across from the school in Kilmallock, so after school I'd go there every day. My grandfather would have always had racing on the telly in the background. I would often sit down and watch it, and try to pick winners out of the paper for the craic- that’s kind of where it started.

"Then I moved out the road a bit, out of the town. My neighbour sold horses out there, and I used to go over and give him a hand every so often, so I kind of got into it there from then,” Sean recalled.

While in fifth year at Colaiste Iosaef in Kilmallock, Sean started his business selling nominations, and said the success he has found in the industry since is one he “never expected”.

“A lot of the time with racing, you have to either come from a racing family, or you have to have been in it a long time to have gotten somewhere. In a way, it just kind of came all of a sudden for me. Obviously, I was kind of tipping away behind the scenes for a few years, and then when I started getting my name out there a bit more, the business just took off.”

Despite buying his first winning horse in January of this year, Sean said it wasn’t always easy to manage the business alongside his studies. The first-year college student laughed as he recalled being unable to watch his winning horse’s race because he was in a tutoring session, preparing for his Leaving Certificate mock exams.

Sean shared that although his early clients were “very understanding” of his school commitments, he found support in those around him, both in the industry and in his local community.

"When you start getting into the business and getting your name out there, you don’t really realise how many people are looking out for you, and congratulating you, and willing to give you a hand when things are going well. Even when things aren't going well, there's always someone there.

"I've made a lot of friends now, and these are people I would've never known before. I've met an awful lot of people through it, and I've made very good friends in a lot of them. Even if it's not in racing, if you want to give someone a buzz any day, you can always talk to somebody,” Sean said.

Alongside his thriving business as a bloodstock agent, Sean also enjoyed success on the GAA pitch, celebrating a Premier Minor Hurling Championship victory with Kilmallock GAA in September.

The student shared that his drive for success, in both sport and business, comes from “chasing the feeling”.

"There's no feeling like buying a winner, especially since there are so many hoops to jump through in the process of buying a horse. I relate the feeling of buying a winner to winning the county two months ago. I'm lucky enough that I can relate a lot of racing to hurling in a way of successes and that kind of thing – you're just always chasing a winning feeling. It's kind of hard to deal with on a bad day, but I always tell myself that, ‘Look, every day can't be a good day. You’ve to take the good with the bad, and there will be a turn at some stage’,” Sean explained.

The teenager said that “good day or bad day”, he has always found support in his local community. "Kilmallock is a very close-knit place. Everyone always knows what you're doing – not in a bad way, but if you'd bought a horse, then everyone would know. Whether it's going down to the GAA club or going for a pint, someone would always say it to you.

"For me, it means a lot, because I grew up in that place - my father grew up in that place. I'd always be very proud of where I came from,” the hurler continued.

With his sights set on continuing to build his business, Sean shared that his ultimate goal has always been to buy Group One winners. “A Group One is the highest race you can win, so I'd love to buy one winner anyway, but sure, once you win one, you want two, don’t you?” he laughed.

With sales coming “thick and fast”, Sean continues to grow his business by “keeping clients happy, keeping the head down, and keep on working away”.