FRESH from celebrating Blue Lord’s victory in the Irish Arkle and despite a disappointing run in the John Mulhern Galmoy Hurdle in January, Eilish Byrne remains wholly focused on Cheltenham and her exuberant charge, Klassical Dream. Trainer Willie Mullins said of the shock January defeat: “I wanted to get another run into Klassical Dream and change tactics but the horse took over and just ran too free. There was possibly a bit of a bounce factor and maybe we gave him too much of a break after Christmas. We’ll see but I think we’ll have him right for Cheltenham.”

Eilish has looked after eight-year-old Klassical Dream since he first stepped into Mullins’ yard in 2018 describing him as a very easy horse to deal with on a day-to-day basis. Perhaps not the image of him we might expect, given some of his parade ring antics. “He can be a bit bold riding out with his fly leaping stunts coming into play as we wait to jump off on the gallops,” she admits. “That’s him, though, and everyone in the yard knows his party trick by now. He actually loves being groomed and usually spends the whole time trying to distract you with cuddles.”

According to Eilish, in essence, preparation for Cheltenham is the same as for any race. “The horses are aimed to be fit and ready. The only thing that changes is that you know that Cheltenham is close; the horses are oblivious to it and just stay in their usual routine.”

Reminiscing on the triumph with Klassical Dream in the 2019 Supreme Novices’ Hurdle, Eilish recalls: “It was going to be my first ever trip to Cheltenham at all, never mind bringing a horse like him over and leading him up. When he turned into the straight and all the other horses’ silks were covered in mud, and you could just see his red and yellow colours cruising up the hill, I couldn’t believe it! And then the task of running up the hill myself to go and get him (it’s not an easy run). The atmosphere coming into the winner’s enclosure that day was one I will never forget.”

Cheltenham is a huge team effort by the Mullins yard and Eilish and her colleagues are up early in the morning, preparing the horses for their trip. As stable staff, making sure that the horses are all fed, watered and comfortable during travel is an important part of the job. After a long journey across the water, the horses are unloaded and settled into their Cheltenham stables. They get a good walk out, stretch their legs and are rugged up and fed for the night.

“Even the quietest of horses can get fizzy being away from home and in a new place. Klassical doesn’t get upset being away though, he is the same way in the Cheltenham stable yard as he is at home. Only once the horses are settled will we staff go and check into our rooms and get ourselves ready for the exciting few days ahead of us.

Klassical Dream was Ruby Walsh’s last festival winner and, in true unruly style, the gelding took the opportunity to test the great jockey’s seat one last time as he plunged and leapt his way down the Cheltenham chute. According to Eilish, Klassical is a great traveller and a gentleman to handle on the yard. Like most top performers however, things hot up when he gets the whiff of showtime, and this is where it pays as a groom to know your horse.

“The morning of Cheltenham, we will come in and do our usual feeding, mucking out and walking. Then the jockeys arrive and the horses will be tacked up and ridden out. We usually come back to the stable yard, and the runners for that day will get their tails and legs shampooed so they are looking spick and span and their very best for later on.

“When it’s time to go, we bring our horses to the pre-parade ring where they are walked until ready to be saddled; then it’s into the parade ring. Klassical gets quite lit up. It takes two people to lead him up because he can drag you and fly leap if he takes a fancy to it. He is manageable walking around the parade ring, but it really does set him off when the jockey gets legged up. I almost ended up underneath his back legs in Leopardstown. But the jockeys know him by now, and so do I, so we know what to expect, and that’s the secret.

“Once the jockey is legged up, the crowds are roaring and cheering as you set off down the chute. It sends goosebumps up your neck. Once you let your horse off, you know your job is done, and you can do no more for them; it’s finally time to stand and watch that horse, who has brought you on this amazing journey, go out and do their thing and make you proud. I get the same nervous and excited feeling before every race my horses run in. To look after a horse that is good enough to run in Cheltenham - the Olympics of our sport - never mind having a live chance, is a position I feel incredibly proud and privileged to be in.

“To do this job, you have to love horses because I don’t believe you could do it properly if you didn’t. I absolutely love racing, but who knows if I’m going to do this for the rest of my life? As for Klassical, I think the fact I look forward to seeing him every morning and he puts a smile on my face every day makes him very special.”

And what about that now-famous red and yellow bobble hat Eilish wears so proudly when Klassical is victorious? “It will be the first thing packed into my suitcase for Cheltenham!” ?