Category: RACING
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Gourmet dish off the menu as Hourigan hangs up the binoculars
“And Doran’s Pride’s a faller, Danoli hits the front, Danoli strikes the first blow for Ireland”. Peter O’Sullevan’s commentary from the back of the last home in the 1995 Sun Alliance (now RSA) Novices Hurdle. The day Danoli became ‘The People’s Champion. Even in terms of sport, it was a different world. Tom Foley’s stable…
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Michael O’Sullivan – A Tribute
The following is just an observation rather than a boast – when working around racing as close as is the case here, very quickly jockeys, trainers and owners names become instantly recognisable. And then, every so often, a new name will appear that will necessitate a bit of research. Now read on… The most recent…
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The Late John Hales
Leading National Hunt racehorse owner John Hales has passed away. The deceased, who was 85, made his money through the Golden Bear Toys company he co-founded in 1979, which went on to produce products from major children’s shows such as Teletubbies, Basil Brush, Thomas the Tank Engine and In The Night Garden, owned some champions…
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Do not discount the others
There’s something very fitting about what you will read hereafter appearing around the same time as the completion of the third round of soccer’s FA Cup. Therein have been some of the greatest upsets ever seen in any sport. Such as Northampton’s expulsion of Manchester United or Arsenal being ousted by Wrexham a decade and…
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Slevin very much in the Green
In any walk of life, a conclusion of one sort generally leads to the beginning of another. Whether that be a footballer retiring a going into management, or a jockey retiring and taking out a training licence or a journalist moving on from actively writing and into an editing or sub-editing role. Mind you, in…
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Some questions answered with more new ones created
Before we even reach the starting tape here, one can but doff your cap to Nicky Henderson and his team at Seven Barrows. What an amazing job they have done. Not only in coaxing, cajoling, maybe even codding, Constitution Hill back to full health. Not only that, but doing so in such a manner that…
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Davy Russell Bereaved
Mr Jeremiah (Jerry) Russell, father of three time Irish National Hunt champion jockey, Davy, passed away over the weekend. He was 85. The deceased ran a farm and a garage business in his native Youghal, Co Cork and was an avid supporter of the pony racing, point-to-point and racing under rules scene. All the routes…
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Suspect charged with Hunt family murders
A 26-year-old male has appeared in court in Cambridge, England, charged with the murders of the wife and two daughters of BBC and Sky Sports Racing commentator and broadcaster John Hunt on July 9th last. Kyle Clifford, of Enfield, North London, was thought to be the boyfriend of Louise Hunt (25) either at or shortly…
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Trying to convince myself to never say never
In the summer of 2015, my brother gave a local farmer a dig out for about two months in total actually. From the time they started the spring ploughing and sowing until the first cut silage and hay was all done. Some 23 years after they had originally parted ways. For me, this was as…
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Einstein was a fairly smart fella – some people would do well to heed him
Say what you like about people like JP McManus and Michael O’Leary, through their input to and support of horse racing – and in the case of the former many other things besides – they contribute extraordinarily to the Irish economy. That is not to say, though, that both are anything other than ruthlessly efficient…