Noel Meade? Gordon? Or push the boat out and go for Willie? Yes lads and lassies, as only it can, the Cheltenham Festival has planted the seed of wanting to have a horse trained in Ireland again.
The heart and soul has always said if the opportunity arose, it would be to Noel in Castletown. Events in Prestbury Park certainly didn’t discourage such inclinations. But, unfortunately, as has to be the case in such a situation, monetarily speaking, it might not be doable.
And now, you’re saying to yourself, if having a horse with Noel wasn’t financially doable, the other two are highly unlikely to be.
But then, sometimes when you’ve been through enough sh** in life and there’s even a smidgeon of a chance a long time ambition being realised, sometimes you just have to back your own judgement and go for it. Better to try and come up short than not try at all.
As if to emphasise the point, when perusing Noel’s entries – which I do with all the Meath trainers as part of my normal routine – I noticed he had a horse entered in one of the races on the first day at The Curragh of the new Flat turf season KEOGIE I took it as a sign it was meant to be!
Knowing Noel is as big a GAA fanatic as I am myself, there’s absolutely no doubt the steed is named in honour of Meath football legend Donal Keogan.
Now, in the unlikely event that a position was arrived at where the horse – or a share thereof – could be purchased, would it stay on the level or go jumping or be dual purpose?
In all honesty, my heart and soul has always been jumps first and that was a big part of the reason why there were thoughts of looking elsewhere – doubt about whether Noel would actually want a young jumper.
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Anyone other than yours truly who wondered whether the great man from Castletown could still be a force in NH racing got their curiosity gloriously solved on the greatest stage in the sport.
The Mourne Rambler didn’t just win the Wetherby’s Champion Bumper, he did so with quite a bit left up his cuff. Oh, did we mention he did it with a six time Champion Flat jockey who had never rode in an NH race before?!
Maybe that goes back to Noel’s link with GAA, none other than Sean Boylan always says you have to pull a rabbit from a hat to beat Dublin. In other words, throw something at them they’re not expecting.
Convert that to a racing scenario and putting Colin Keane up on a Bumper horse with only one career run under his belt at the most important fixture in the entire sport will take some topping.
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On the face of it, 15 Irish winners – including the Champion Hurdle, Champion Bumper, Stayers’ Hurdle and Gold Cup – would seem to indicate another year of Irish domination. To an extent it was, but, in a strange way, it was actually reassuring to see British trained horses give a better account of themselves than had been the case in recent seasons.
Look, of course it has been great – and important – to see Irish horses and trainers doing well, but, in terms of Irish racing, and indeed that across the water, the competition is what brings the best out of each other. And that’s even without mentioning the atmosphere and entertainment value of it all.
Sure isn’t that the punchline of the brilliant advert run by Paddy Power at this time every year with Colm Meaney on one side and former footballer Peter Crouch on the other. Yeah, the competition is healthy, but it’s nothing without the banter and the craic that goes along with it.
Now, the following is meant in the best context possible, but, thankfully, in some of the categories, the other side appear to hold the upper hand. Most obviously owing to the victory of Old Park Star in the Supreme Novice Hurdle. Because, what that will do now is create the debate for the rest of us and a conundrum for connections.
For example, does the aforementioned Nicky Henderson-trained star stay over hurdles or go down the novice chasing route? Personally, if it were me, the Seven Barrows animal has the stamp of a chaser all over him, then again, if the same outfit can get Sir Gino back to the track that opens up greater options all round.
Whatever about horses that are expected to progress through the ranks, as it were, for those who end up with unexpected stars – even what might be classed as second strings out of the bigger yards – it opens up a whole new world of possibilities – and/or challenges.
In that bracket, you’d have, most obviously, Johnny’s Jury or even Kitzbuhel from the Willie Mullins yard, or, indeed, King Rasco Grey, who scampered away with the Turners Novice Hurdle at a flabbergasting (for a Closutton representative) 11/1.
The victory of the latter, in particular, was no doubt a poignant and timely fillip not only for the Mullins team but also for owner Mrs Audrey Turley after the gifted, gallant Gallopin Des Champs was retired just days before going for his third Cheltenham Gold Cup.
Now, sadly, mention of aged competitors brings to the gut wrenching demise of Envoi Allen. However, before the animal rights attention seekers go off on one – know this – nobody loves and cares for horses more than those who own, train, ride and work with them on a daily basis.
Thus, if there was even a scintilla of a hint there was anything wrong with the beautiful 12-year-old, there is no way connections would have been allowed to run him even if they wanted to. Which they wouldn’t.
Racing people, or any in fact, who work with animals, are a special breed. One need only look, poignantly, at Henry De Bromhead himself. His only son Jack, 13, killed in a fall pony racing some years back.
Or William and Bernie O’Sullivan, whose jockey cum farmer son Michael lost his life following a fall at Thurles 14 months ago. Yet, the common thread that links both cases – well, the most prominent one – is their ability and desire to and insistance upon keeping going.
The reasons are probably numerous but can be boiled down to these two: necessity as it’s all they know. And, more pointedly, it is what their loved ones would have wanted.
I’m not sure if either of Henry’s daughters have or will race ride, but, you couldn’t even begin to imagine the maelstrom of emotions it must be for the O’Sullivans every time the younger lad, Alan, gets the leg up on one.
You can be sure that there’s not a day the doubts and fears don’t envelope things. But, in communities like racing and farming, there’s an indescribible sense of comfort and healing in the togetherness it brings.
For example, the groundswell of support for the proposal to name the Supreme Novice Hurdle in honour of Michael in 2025.
Though the inclinations that there are higher powers at work don’t necessarily have to be pronounced happenings.
Consider that, as the De Bromhead’s Travelling Head Girl Zoe Smalley cut a devastated figure as news of Envoi galloping over the seven coloured bridge, a rainbow did indeed appear right on cue.
Which was followed very shortly thereafter by the Knockeen team claiming the final race of the entire Festival. Coincidence? My ar*e!
As a visibly distraught Zoe said afterwards “He died in his favourite place doing what he loved”. If, when my time comes, I happen to be in Croke Park, with a horse running in my own colours or in a shed full of cattle, let that be the announcement!
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