SATURDAY, JUNE 27TH

LADS can ye believe when ye are reading this magnificent newspaper this morning that we are now playing the back 9 for the year! I find once Cheltenham comes round in March the racing roller coaster takes off and after Irish Derby weekend you have a festival every couple of weeks running up to the world famous Harvest Festival in Listowel starting September 13th. After that sure we turn the heating back on in the house ahead of the winter.

Today is always a special day on my calander and being the 150th anniversary of the Derby it adds extra spice to the occasion. Shergar in 1981 was my first Derby and I still remember being awestruck by witnessing Lester (Piggot) in the flesh for the first time and I followed him around like a love struck teenager at a One Direction concert. Fair play to him he is here today and looks in great form, Lester, that is, not Shergar.

The only Derby I have missed since was back in 1986 when Law Society won as The Boss allowed me the day off to go and see U2 play in Croke Park which I must say was a day to fatten on. It’s great news that Colm McLoughlin and his team at Dubai Duty Free have extendend their sponsorship for the premier classic to 2017 and with a work force of 5,500 they are a true global brand.

The Curragh looks a picture today with fresh flowers planted and hanging everywhere and is a credit to Paul Hensey and his team - just what you like to see when the race is being watched all over the world. On my walkabout before racing I wander into the Derby Food Paddock behind the Champgane Bar and there is a great atmosphere with plenty of food options for your lunch.

At the Silver Restaurant you can have a hereford Irish Burger for €8, or maybe try a Jane Russell Irish Sausage for €6 or try the East Coast Seafood shop for fresh cod and chips at €8. Afterwards you can wash it down with a pint of Heineken for €5.80, a pint of Guinness for €5.30 or treat yourself to a Rossmore Ice cream for €2.50.

Being the biggest race meeting of the year for Healy Racing I am joined by Liam, my nephew Kevin and our Louth man Aidan Dullaghan to cover all the angles. Thankfully everything goes well for us and we put together a great package of Jack Hobbs winning under William Buick for trainer John Gosden bringing the English winner drought to an end since 1993 would you believe! (Balanchine in 1995 was under the UAE prefix for Hilal Ibrahim).

The Curragh have a Derby Legends presentation today and one of the recipients is our old pal from Texas, Cash Asmussen who used to be stable jockey to the mighty Vincent O’Brien in Ballydoyle. Most of you won’t know but it was at that time I got the nickname `Pat Cash’ from probably the one man on this island who can match Cash for stories and gift of the gab, Ted Walsh.

Back in the day I used to lodge with his stable jockey, now Turf Club Clerk of Course, Brendan and Ann Marie Sheridan in Kill and I would go in to Ted’s yard and help out the team. This morning I was late and with the boys all circling down at the gallop Ted eyed me coming over the hill on one of his trusty steeds and with me standing on its back galloping at full belt he roared at the lads “who the f**k is this, Cash f*****g Asmussen!!!”

Cash was an icon at the time and there are brilliant stories about him. He got off to a rocky enough start mind being beaten on a few odds-on shots which didn’t endear him to the punters. After a few weeks there would be a stampede to the second place spot if he was chinned on one, similer to an Oliver Brady winner stampede, to slag off the jockey.

My favourite is from the Phoenix Park back in the day when a large crowd gathered to enjoy the gallery and in the middle was the legendry bookmaker Edward Baldy Flood who Cash had gotten to know by asking “who is the bald guy who keeps mouthing to me?’’ (See Curragh TV review A20).

Lucky enough our paths have crossed down the years since he left Ireland, places like Dallas for the Breeders’ Cup and Hong Kong for the International meeting and a night out in his company is always mighty craic.

MONDAY, JUNE 29TH

Today’s date brings two milestones - the wedding in the Dunraven Arms, Adare of living legend Paul Carberry to his partner for 10 years Rachel Clarke and it’s my birthday, which always reminds me of my nana Biddy who used to say “sure everyone has a birthday” I think it was her way of bringing you down a peg before slipping you a gorgeous £10 note which back in the day got you a load of bon bons.

I am doing the pictures for Rachel and Paul and I arrive at the bride’s lodgings in Adare Manor for 12.30 to capture herself, daughters Kasey Lou and Elle Jay and the beautiful bridesmaids Aine Casey, Sara Clarke and Ciara Clarke getting their final makeover - not that they need it mind you as you would wear out a good set of tyres before finding as many natural beauties!

Before Rachel arrives, I nip over to Holy Trinity Abbey Church in the village to capture the groom with his bestmen Mike Foley, Adam Lord and Brian Cassidy. Fr Paul Crosbie from Ratoath is the priest in charge and he has the whole place laughing by declaring that the first thing he did was check the church to see were there any rafters here in case Carberry would hang out of them.

Afterwards there are 210 for the reception in the Dunraven where the Murphy family have everything perfectly organised. All the tables are named after Carberry’s famous winners and Joanna Quirke and I are on the Sausalito Bay table along with Fran and Laura Berry, Tracy Piggott and daughter Tia, Barry and Paula Geraghty, Kevin and Eimer Crilly and Abbey and Ericia Reynolds.

MEADE’S YARNS

The speeches were class with Noel Meade telling yarns about Carberry down the years and one of the best being when he rode a horse for him in Kilbeggan one day. The animal was of limited ability and when Paul arrived back after finishing umplaced he informed Noel that he had made a noise. “What kind of noise” enquired Noel. “It sounded like waitforme, waitforme,” laughed Carberry.

Bestman Mike Foley told of the day when he was heading to Listowel and Carberry told him to call into the Dunraven to pick him up. On arrival there was no sign of Carberry but Mike ran into Jason Titley who told him Carberry had gone on already.

On Mike moseys to Listowel and on parking the car Carberry rings him. “Where are you Mike?” Parking the car Paul, where you?” “I’m in the Dunraven Mike” and with that over the loudspeaker Mike hears “there is a change of jockey for number 6 who is now ridden by J. Titley”!

BIRDS SINGING

We have dancing to Deuces Wild and a disco afterwards to keep the diehards going and sure by the time we hit the leaba not only are the birds singing but they are well on their way to work.

The party continues the following day in Chalke’s pub where there is a BBQ and music and with the sun beating down on over 70 of us it’s one of those days you just don’t want to end.

My man of the match award goes to Paul Nolan who put up a great performance over the two days, fair play to him, but of course he was well managed by wife Catherine who had to run onto the pitch with the magic bottle now and again to keep him going!

We wish the Carberrys and their children Kasey Lou and Elle Jay, health and happiness for their future. There are two very nice people in this game and Paul and Rachel are both of them.