Irish mates chasing Melbourne Cup fairytale with Heartbreak City

WHEN Heartbreak City’s main owner died of cancer a year ago, three close mates picked up the slack and are now on course for a Melbourne Cup fairytale.

Heartbreak City connections Tony Martin, Charlie Gavigan, Niall Reilly and Aidan Sheils at Werribee on Sunday. Picture: Wayne Ludbey

WHEN Heartbreak City’s main owner George Swan lost his short battle with pancreatic cancer last November three of his closest friends felt like they had lost a brother.

Naturally heartbroken, Swan’s wife decided to sell his horses and when it came time to determine Heartbreak City’s future Niall Reilly, Donal Gavigan and Aidan Shiels knew there was only one thing to do.

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“(Trainer Tony Martin) came to us first and said guys, ‘I don’t want to let this horse go and the owners want to sell the horse but I don’t want to lose him from my yard’,” Reilly recalled. “He asked if we could work out a deal to keep the horse in the yard and keep George’s wife happy.”

So, as great friends do, that’s exactly what they did.

“We made a deal with George’s wife,” Reilly said.

“Tony was a very good friend of George’s as well and we took hold of the torch and we are burning the light for him.”

Heartbreak City’s trainer Tony Martin, left, and owners Donal Gavigan, Niall Reilly and Aidan Shiels have high hopes for their stayer on Tuesday. Picture: Wayne Ludbey

Fast forward 12 months and Swan’s three great mates, all Irish expats living in New York, are now on the other side of the world on the cusp of their greatest victory yet with Heartbreak City in Tuesday’s $6.2 million Melbourne Cup.

Reilly had always wanted to come to Australia but never felt it would be under these circumstances.

“We all came over last Wednesday from New York and I always wanted to come to Australia but I didn’t know it would be for a Melbourne Cup,” Reilly said.

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But while this story might be one that warms the heart now, it has to remembered it all started with heartbreak.

Reilly, Gavigan and Sheils met and formed a friendship over drinking countless pints at the famous Irish Rover bar Shiels owns in New York.

But it wasn’t until Shiels and Reilly travelled home to watch one of their horses race a few years ago that they met London-based Swan.

Like Reilly and Shiels, Swan also owned horses with Irish trainer Tony Martin and soon, along with Gavigan, the four of them were catching up regularly at race meetings across England and Ireland and cheering on each other’s horses.

“(George) was a good guy and he was passionate like us,” Reilly said.

“He was a personality, he dressed very smart and was a tall guy and he loved the horses.

Heartbreak City has won four of his past five starts. Picture: Ian Currie

“He comes over from England and we come over from America and we would always meet at the track (in Ireland). He liked a punt and he used to back a few of ours as well.”

Together, the four of them would run amok but then Swan was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer last year.

“Three months later he was gone,” Reilly said. “It was devastating and life deals us a lot of blows but you have to play the cards you’re dealt.

“It is sad that one of our team is gone but we will carry the torch for him.”

Gavigan can still remember Heartbreak City’s first start after Swan’s death.

It was in Cork in Ireland on March 26 this year and expectations weren’t high after Heartbreak City was beaten a combined 22 ½ lengths at his past two starts the year before.

He started at the big odds of $21 and bolted in by 12 lengths.

It was supposed to be a time to celebrate but Gavigan knew there was something, or rather someone, missing.

“When he won at York there were mixed emotions and (Swan) left a wife and young kid behind and that evening we got into the car and Niall’s 10-year-old was calling him,” he said.

“It puts everything into perspective and it was a tough one to take. He was (50) and too young to die and cancer is taking too many young people every day and he should be still here.”

Heartbreak City has now won four of his five starts since Niall, Gavigan and Shiels purchased Swan’s share in the horse. Call it a coincidence if you like but Sheils reckons it’s much more than that.

“I think he has a lot to do with what has happened up until now and I do absolutely believe in that,” Shiels said. “Some people don’t but I am very superstitious like that.

“I believe he is guiding this horse and I don’t think he is finished yet.”