“I often wonder why on earth I keep going but then I remember the wins. Anyone who has ever won a major race will tell you just the feeling. It is something you relive again and again”– David Keoghan
“Sometimes the higher you go, the harder the fall” – his wife Cecelia Ahern
Four years ago, racehorse owner David Keoghan took the punt of his life.
After his first ever runner in the prestigious Royal Ascot – Lolly for Dolly – surprised everyone by romping home to win the Group 2 Windsor Forest stakes, he didn’t rest on his laurels. Having sold Lolly for Dolly of a tidy sum, he decided to use some of his winnings to mount a seemingly impossible challenge. Spending €400,000 on six young horses and another €100,000 training them up to compete against the biggest names in the horse racing industry, David took on the Goliaths of the racing world including the Aga Khan and Queen Elizabeth II.
Half-a-million euro, six young horses, one almighty gamble.
Showcasing the very best of Irish horse racing, The Long Shot was filmed over three years (2012 – 2015) and featuring races from all over Ireland and the UK (The Curragh, Dundalk, Down Royal, Newmarket, Leopardstown), giving a unique and personal insider glimpse into the day-to-day reality of the competitive world of horse racing – the highs and lows, the thrills and spills, the challenges, disappointments and successes.
As a former professional athlete, David has a strong connection with his horses and a visceral sense of what they go through in competition. Watching the horses perform from his personal perspective offers viewers the ride of a lifetime, generating a deeper understanding of what it takes to compete in the Sport of Kings and the agonies and ecstasies it brings.
As David says as he starts out on his journey: “It takes an incredible amount of luck. There’s a million things that have to go right for you and one thing can go wrong and your luck is out”.
Featuring contributions from his wife, the best-selling author Cecelia Ahern, well known trainer James ‘Fozzy’ Stack, and legendary jockey Ruby Walsh, The Long Shot puts everyone through their paces. The programme is dedicated to the memory of the late Lucy Stack.
Produced by Create One and Red Robin, the documentary was directed by multi-award winning director, Ruán Magan (The Men Who Built America, The Radharc Squad, 1916) who said: “The opportunity to document David’s ambitious attempt to win at the highest level of the horse racing was one I could not turn down. I knew from the start it would offer incredible material for a film with its natural jeopardy, conflict, highs and lows. Following the story for four years was an epic effort – we could never know how the story would play out. A seat of the pants ride through time”.
The Long Shot was edited by double-Emmy winner, Bob Caldwell (London Olympics 2012, Beijing Olympics 2008). Directors of Photography included the award-winning Ronan Fox (John Sheahan – a Dubliner), John Conroy (Luther, Broadchurch) and Cathal Watters (Rola Saor).