MONDAY, MARCH 12TH

CORK AIRPORT

It’s the middle of March and, as we say in Kerry, “the year is gone!’’ The fishing season is open and the peace and tranquility that the River Feale has to offer these early mornings would close many a shrink’s office.

Cheltenham has arrived which means only one thing, six months to the Harvest Festival in Listowel! By that time, with any bit of luck, the sun will burst the rocks and we will have record crowds and The Kingdom will be after shaking the Dublin monkey off our backs! Sure we can all dream can’t we?

Speaking of dreams, isn’t this week what everyone in the circus dreams about? From the breeder to the owner and everyone involved between it seems these days nothing else matters only Cheltenham. I have to laugh this morning when Patrick Mullins sends a snapchat of the winning post with the quote “the most important piece of wood in racing”. Seems Tesio got it wrong when he was speaking about Epsom!

It’s been a busy weekend, with 10 events covered by Healy Racing, so I clock into the office for 6.20am to tidy up before hitting the road to Cork Airport. Jack (son) is on the team this year with Liam and me, on his maiden voyage. Like myself, he doesn’t say a lot but I can see he is really excited about it. He has been working with us full-time this year after taking a year out of college and, fair play to him, he is a huge asset to the firm.

We pick up bookie Berkie Browne and meet up with Spike Murphy and Barney McMahon and on arriving in Heathrow we hire a people carrier from Sixt. Corrine is the lovely Italian lady behind the desk and she looks after us, upgrading us to a nine-seater all because she has a soft spot for Irish men! We are renting our usual house in Charlton Kings from Christine and she must have a soft spot for Irish men too as she even does a sewing job on Berkie’s trousers.

Later on we head to the Ellenborough Hotel for owner Rich Ricci’s pre-Cheltenham mingle. Always good craic and we have an added Kerry flavour this evening when one of The Kingdom’s greatest ever warriors, Darragh O’Se, turns up. He is part of Kenmare man Brian Galvin’s team who bought an auction prize at the John Shortt Legends day. It includes a private plane from Farranfore, two nights and racing in Cheltenham and a meet and greet with Rich Ricci, all organised by Audrey O’Dwyer who did such a brilliant job with that memorable day. Darragh is asked by Lillywhite followers Ruby, Nash and Casey about their greats from the past and he tells them that Glen Ryan was the “hardest” he came across, but it was always easy to wind up Willie McCreery.

“How?” asked the lads. “Sure I used to tell him he couldn’t catch a balloon in a phone box; after hearing that he would sulk for the day”

I can’t wait for the flat to start to meet McCreery!

TUESDAY, MARCH 13TH

CHELTENHAM

A crowd of over 66,000 rock up for the opening day and, I have to say, with the improvements and new stand it is easy enough to get around. My little rat-run from the winning post along the back of the stands doesn’t feel as congested and thankfully I manage not to hop off anyone making my way back to the parade ring.

Our press room is behind the weighroom again this year and holds 150 photographers and journalists. Today is a new one on me as the photographers are not allowed on the track, would you believe, and we can’t shoot remote cameras. The reason is the ground is so heavy the clerk of the course is not fond of the idea of so many bodies walking on it for seven races. This means the snappers have to stay on the canter down which is grand for the hurdle races because you are close enough but makes shooting the last fence awkward as you are a distance back from it and if you are not shooting through a window of about 10 yards you are snookered with rails.

Anyway, it is what it is and we plant Jack high up in the stands which provides us with a new and different angle and it works well. On the track we have three Irish winners including Patrick Mullins on Rathvinden who salutes the crowd passing his important piece of wood, and a first at the Cheltenham Festival for Lizzie Kelly.

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 14TH

CHELTENHAM

Today is Ladies Day and what a day it is with six Irish winners. A crowd of nearly 59,000 witness the usual Cheltenham thrills and spills all through an atmosphere that just flows through your body till the last race is over. Samcro lives up to his billing, Presenting Percy brings joyous scenes from the Reynolds family while trainer Pat Kelly just looks on with that look he has that you would just hate to play against in a game of poker.

A great win for owner ‘Lucky’ Luke McMahon with Bleu Berry, who is betting here at the track and he is joined by his kids Aubrey and Louise. Owner Martin Wasylocha and his pals make plenty of noise leading in Veneer Of Charm and Relegate’s win in the bumper for Sligo man Paul McKeon is emotional for jockey Katie Walsh as she is feeling for brother Ruby after his fall earlier in the day.

All great stories but the one for me is the win for jockey Keith ‘Jacksy’ Donoghue on Tiger Roll. Rewind to this time last year when his weight got the better of him and he missed the winning ride on Labiak. He took some time out of the game. It must have been hard on him but fair play to his boss Gordon Elliott for always dragging him back and also to Jacksy’s hero Paul Carberry who has been a major ally in his corner also.

Jacksy rode his first winner in Listowel aged 16 and, having him watched him since then, he has filled into a frame any county midfielder would be proud off. Obviously not ideal for a jockey and no other jockey works as hard with his weight and he reckons he runs about 60 miles a week as part of his routine to keep it in check.

THURSDAY, MARCH 15TH

CHELTENHAM

What a day’s racing lads. Six Irish winners in a row and just chinned in the last. Wouldn’t it have been great to have witnessed a clean sweep. But, then again, it’s brilliant to see Hilltown, Co Down jockey Noel McParlan get his name on the Cheltenham Festival scoreboard in the last. A northern point-to-point champion and as quiet as a mouse in the weigh tent, this would be a popular result amongst his colleagues. He got the ride through his friend retired jockey Steven Clements and his father Sean will have the chest out when we meet him next. Noel’s mother Anne passed away over two years ago and of course she would be a proud women looking down on her young fella.

The day belongs to Davy Russell though and it has to have been a tough few days for the Youghal man after the passing of his mother Phyllis last week. You can’t help shed a tear when he brings Dad Jerry up to the podium for the presentation after Delta Work had won and they are joined by his brother Sean and his wife Christine.

Other great stories out of the day are Michael O’Leary winning the Ryanair after 15 years of trying, a double for Paul Townend and a second Cheltenham Festival success for Ballyclare owners Joe and Patricia Sloan.

It’s been another memorable week and, in the words of one of Springsteen’s great songs, all we can do for the next 365 days is Dream baby dream.