Life And Sport From An Armchair View
Before becoming seriously interested and to some extent involved in racing, your columnist’s earliest recollection of being anywhere physically close to horses was around the time of my birthday many moons ago, watching a few races in Naas from the front seat of the car, now read on... The main reason for being there... Continue Reading →
The image of Our Conor bounding up the Cheltenham hill and in so doing turning the normally ultra competitive Triumph Hurdle into a one horse show will remain the abiding memory of the 2013 festival. It was a procession brimming with possibilities and... Continue Reading →
Of all the races viewed in recent times, particularly since Christmas, two stand out. Both won by the same horse. Trained by one of the smallest operators in the country. A man, mind you, with a proven record in demonstrating that size need be no impediment to chasing the dream with horses. Now read on...... Continue Reading →
Over the years, the value and/or importance of tradition has cropped up several times on these pages. Whether it was in terms of rivalries between different teams or things that happen even fairly regularly that are associated, say, with a particular area. All of the above recently... Continue Reading →
It’s said good things come to those who wait. Peter Roe, manager of Fairyhouse Racecourse must have been beginning to question the legitimacy of the above line of thinking. In recent years, the Ratoath venue’s Winter Festival – their biggest and most important fixture outside of Easter – has been cursed with bad weather.Temptation was... Continue Reading →
Musings on mixed feelings regarding such luminaries of the flat scene as Bob Bafford, Todd Pletcher, Aidan O’Brien, Dermot Weld and John Oxx might seem a strange place to begin a look into the jump racing season unfolding by the week. Such are the vagaries of racing, however, very often one code overlaps the other.... Continue Reading →
It’s said that a week’s a long time in politics. That probably applies to every facet of life. In some cases, it’d be more accurate to say a day is a long time. Put either way, the point is that things can change quickly, and dramatically. Some of you will, no doubt, be aware of... Continue Reading →
In keeping with the cyclical nature of things, shortly after the National Hunt racing season reaches its zenith at the Cheltenham Festival and begins to wind down thereafter, it’s around that time that affairs on the Flat really takes off in earnest. Action over jumps has always been the preferred sphere for me and most... Continue Reading →
Johnny Murtagh recently bagged another Classic across the water aboard the German trained Novelist. When somebody has been at the top of their trade for as long as the Cortown man, these things tend to be taken for granted. With Murtagh, it can’t and shouldn’t be. His story is remarkable. From overcoming personal hurdles and... Continue Reading →
