THE six degrees of separation is the idea that all living things and everything else in the world are six or fewer steps away from each other.

But how do you link Middleham trainer Jedd O’Keefe to Moscow in the mid 1980s?

And before any of you bellow out Moscow Flyer and the sport of kings remember that the great Irish Champion Chaser was doing his business at the turn of the century.

Well can you believe it, this proud Yorkshireman, a linguist supreme, actually pursued a degree in Russian Language and Soviet Studies in the mid-1980s.

“I studied French and Latin at A Level and wanted to carry on studying so thought I would go to university but there were very few languages you could start from scratch at that level, but Russian was one,” Jedd told me.

“It was also quite an interesting time in the mid-‘80s with lots of things changing over there and with absolutely no idea what I would do for a career, I thought why not?”

And that huge test seems to be typical of the winding road in life that Jedd has taken, always being ready for a challenge and never one to back down.

So much so that when he was diagnosed with cancer in his throat and neck in 2011, I fancy the layers would have priced it up 5000/1 the big C and 1/10 the mighty J! Another huge battle he was set to win.

“That was a tough time in my life so much so that I made the phone call to all the owners to say that we were stopping as matters had come to a financial crossroads with me being unwell, but most of them encouraged me not to give up .”

HORRIBLE

That horrible episode in his life came 11 years after Jedd kickstarted his training career.

“I had just turned 30 and I knew it was a young man’s game and, to be honest, Andrea and I had nothing to lose. We had her teaching job to fall back on if it came to the very worst, but this is what we had always dreamt of doing.”

However, it has only been in the past three or four years that the O’Keefes have finally made their business pay and owner Paul Chapman has been integral to that success.

“He has always been very encouraging and loyal. He started off with a 5% share in a horse with me, but was about to sell his business and became the mainstay owner filling half the yard.

“When he heard I was about to give up due to my ill health, Paul said that it would be a shame as he was hoping to seriously invest in the yard.”

And then came that pivotal moment when Sam Spinner entered their lives in 2015.

“Paul decided he wanted to take a longer term view and buy three-year-olds and to wait as long as it takes for them to mature. We went to the Doncaster Sales and bought two horses for £12,000 and £12,500 respectively. One was pretty useless, Oscars Prospect, and the other was Sam!

ATHLETE

“He had great conformation, he was a lean athlete with a spring in his step and a huge stride and something that will make you laugh, he also had an honest face. I know that sounds like romantic tosh, but there is something in it. He just looked so kind, generous and honest and he is.”

And so the journey began with a winning bumper debut at Catterick. “When we broke him in I said to the girl who helped me that day that I couldn’t believe he wouldn’t be a nice horse as he just covered so much ground and his gait was so elevated, he just couldn’t be useless.

“But good may have been a 120-rated handicapper and he was very green at the Bridge and a big baby frightened of everything.

“We thought he would stay quite well, so we stepped him up bit by bit and even at the end of last year we thought he would get further.”

However, from hoping he would be a fair class handicapper, thoughts turned to thinking Sam could be well above average after finishing second in the Totepool Silver Trophy at Chepstow on his seasonal debut.

“That was brilliant. He went from a novice to a 136-rated horse and to be honest he had nowhere else to go and we had to get on with it and were thrilled with that. We were all actually at York that day as we had a nice two-year-old running and were watching on our phones in the parade ring.

“After that he went up to 139 and for me the next obvious target was to go up in trip again and Haydock Park.

“I told Joe (Colliver) to go a nice even pace that day, but I was worried about the deep ground. I thought he would be okay distance wise but I almost couldn’t believe what I was seeing down the home straight.”

EXCITED

And so to Ascot and the Grade 1 Long Walk Hurdle. “It was like watching him turn from a boy into a man that day and although I rarely get excited during a race I must confess I did have a little shout when I could see him coming up well again at the last with clearly plenty more left in the tank.

“I was with all the family, it was a Grade 1 and I suddenly reflected to myself, this is what it’s all been for and I appreciated the emotion of it all.”

And so what of the Cheltenham dream and hitting the zenith for any National Hunt trainer?

“It’s the obvious place to go for the Stayers’ Hurdle and we have just left him alone since Ascot. He did his first return gallop on January 15th, but he is a very easy horse to get fit and is just in great shape.

“I remember when Joe won his first bumper on him and said this lad will not want the ground too slow so he is versatile ground wise, but it was still quite soft at Ascot and even though he is a lovely moving horse I wouldn’t want it to be on the lively side in March but I wouldn’t have sleepless nights about it either.”

As for those six degrees how about from a three-year-old purchase, to bumper winner, a novice hurdle success, handicap hurdle winner, Grade 1 victor to possibly, just possibly a Cheltenham Festival hero.

Now that’s six degrees of separation that would suit Mr O’Keefe down to the ground. J

Jedd O’Keeffe on:

Joe Colliver:

“A really nice lad and when he had his mishap and was punished for it we never felt we would not support him and, I tell you what, he is unbelievable, as cool as a cucumber”

Micky Hammond:

“He gave me an opportunity to learn and to establish a business and was very good to me”

Brian Harding:

“He is a legend. I’ve known him since he was stable jockey for Micky Hammond. He is a really good friend, one of the nicest men and a truly great horseman.’’

Paul Chapman:

“He is just a brilliant owner to have. He is realistic and at the same time optimistic. He lets me run my business as if the horses are my own. He makes life so easy and the bottom line is he trusts me.”

Andrea O’Keeffe:

“She has an incredible work ethic both with the family and the business. She has been my rock. In the days when I was ill I couldn’t have got through it without her. She would ride out, drive the horse box, deal with the kids, look after the owners and more. Quite how she did it I will never know.”