All eyes will be on the Grand National at Aintree this week as the island’s army of once-a-year punters seek to pick the winner of Britain’s biggest horse race.

But one island resident, entrepreneur and businessman Vincent Caldwell, is celebrating success in another ’National’ race.

Vincent is the co-owner with his mother Kathleen, of the horse Poormans Hill which won the Ulster National at Downpatrick in Northern Ireland.

Onchan-based Vincent told Business News his seven-year-old horse, who is trained by Irish maestro Gordon Elliott, is the ’horse of a lifetime, he just keeps winning.’

Vincent also revealed details of hia latest business venture in an interview with Business News.

Poormans Hill has now won seven races since Vincent and his mother acquired him in September, 2017, three at Downpatrick, one each at Sligo, Down Royal, Fairyhouse and Punchestown.

And leading young jockey Jack Kennedy has been in the ’driving seat’ six times on the horse including the Ulster National victory on Sunday, March 25.

The win gave Elliott a record-breaking 194th victory for the season.

Speaking to Business News the day after his 57th birthday, Vincent, who has lived in the island for some years, revealed he had turned down a lucrative offer to sell Poormans Hill to another owner.

Vincent said the horse may be seen again next at the famous Punchestown Festival at the endof April.

But he has high hopes the animal could eventually be aimed at next year’s Cheltenham Festival and/or the 2019 Aintree Grand National.

Vincent is originally from Northern Ireland and his school classmates included the broadcaster Eamonn Holmes.

His mother Kathleen still lives near Belfast.

A former bookmaker, Vincent used to have ’pitches’ at Cheltenham and Epsom.

He said he relished being an owner, adding: ’I am passionate about horse racing and I have followed in my late father’s footsteps. It was very emotional winning the Ulster National at Downpatrick.

’We use my dad’s old racing

colours, orange with grey sleeves and royal blue hat.’

Vincent, a father of four, with three daughters and one son, has also other reasons for celebration.

Earlier this year he and his bride-to-be Maneerat tied the knot in a special blessing in her home country of Thailand. And a wedding ceremony is set to take place in Hillsborough Castle in Northern Ireland later this year.

Vincent introduced Maneerat to the world of horse racing.

And he revealed she appears to have helped bring some luck.

Vincent is well known in the business world.

He has been acknowledged as one of the pioneers of online gaming and has been individually licensed in eight international jurisdictions.

His achievements have included founding and leading the first listing on the AIM market on the London Stock Exchange of an online betting Company.

Since returning from the United States where he has built up many top contacts with business associates in the world of gaming, he once held the position for a time as Manx Telecom’s eGaming ’ambassador’ for the Isle of Man.

These are busy times for Vincent.

For the last two and a half years he has been working on a new entrepreneurial business project.

He has high hopes for the venture which is a global first and involves developing a virtual racing software that creates races in real time from real-life American dog and horse tracks.

Deals have been signed with a number of premier USA racetracks.

He has established a Manx registered company called Virtual Software Limited as part of the project and has finalised a joint venture partnership with Amtote the words largest Tote wagering company.

Distribution and customer service arrangements have also been approved in the USA.

US Off-Track LLC will distribute the software to casinos, racetracks, betting shops and online betting outlets all across the planet as a Tote bet.

Vincent says 100 billion dollars is currently bet through global totes and this product will be the first virtual tote product in the world.

He adds that the races will also be available on hand held devices.

A number of Manx investors have already taken a stake in the company, and Vincent is currently in negotiations with a few other residents who are interested in the last little piece of stock that is available.

He said everything is set for the project to go live in quarter three this year, having obtained an international license to operate globally from within the USA.

Vincent could well be on to another winner as he says projections are very favourable.

Leading Irish trainer Gordon Elliott, owner Vincent Caldwell, jockey Jack Kennedy and Maneerat Caldwell

Kathleen Caldwell, co-owner, with the Ulster National trophy

Poormans Hill jumps ahead. He has won seven times in races and Vincent says he could be aimed at next year’s Aintree Grand National. He said he is the ’horse of a lifetime’ and has turned down a big offer from a rival owner