Monday

It’s a great relief to finally get on the road this morning and head for Cork airport to catch the 12am ironbird to Heathrow for the Cheltenham Festival.

It’s the usual team of Berkie, Spike and Liam and we have a stress free journey to Gloucestershire arriving at 4pm.

All the talk the last few days has been of the coronavirus and the one thing I can take out of it is that nobody seems to know what is going on or what is going to happen! Will we be racing? If so are we going to be behind closed doors?

Is it going to be like 2001 when foot and mouth disease arrived and shut us down for six weeks? Jaysus, I hope not.

To earn a few quid back then I worked in Jet’s Bar for Eamon Carroll a few days a week. Looking back, I wish I knew we were going to have no racing for the six weeks and I would have moseyed off to do Route 66!

Should all of us be traipsing over to the UK for the Festival?

What’s going to happen over the next few weeks? Will our own Festivals be safe? I just wish someone would come out and let us know where we stand.

Sorry about the negativity but I also bear great news for ye and that is I am just off the back of a brilliant wedding in Galway, that of the stunning Jillian Fitzpatrick, daughter of Patricia and Jimmy, to well-known bookmaker Ray “Shapes” Mulvaney.

Happy groom

Wedding days are always about the bride and today is no different but I have to say I have never seen a happier groom then Shapes today. He doesn’t stop hugging or kissing Jillian all day fair play to him.

Mind you, he waited a long time for this great occasion as he told us all in his speech. Jillian and he “shared a moment” 20 years ago when their eyes met through a crowded betting ring but it took him another six years to finally get her out for a drink when they met again at the Galway Festival.

After that, Jillian went to London to work in finance for a while and finally they met up again three years ago at Punchestown when Shapes declared to all that he was “going to marry that girl”. Sure, ‘tis like a tale out of Hollywood lads!

Tuesday

A great day on the track with three Irish wins and the feature Champion Hurdle is basically two-thirds Irish with Epatante owned by J.P. McManus and ridden by Barry Geraghty. Trained by Nicky Henderson this win makes it 21 successes between the trio in the Champion Hurdle.

It’s J.P’s birthday today, his 69th, and sure he couldn’t have asked for a better present. Asked how he felt after Epatante ended up winning the race after his two bigger names, Buveur D’Air (previous winner, injured) and last year’s winner Espoir D’Allen (died) didn’t make the line up, J.P. smiled and told us “sure, God looks after his own”.

Honeysuckle beats Benie De Dieux in the greatly anticipated Mares’ Hurdle for Rachael Blackmore and Henry de Bromhead, and fair play to Rachael being as modest as ever, heaping praise on grooms Colman Comerford and Emma back in the yard, for making Honeysuckle the mare she is.

“I’m the one lucky enough to do the steering,” she tells us as she is joined by her mom Eimir, dad Charles and brother Jonathan for a photo.

We have two Syndicate winners, which add great celebrations to the winner’s enclosure. Put The Kettle On wins the Arkle Chase for Mullinavat-based On For Luck Racing Syndicate headed up by Mary Dermody, sons John and Michael, and friend Keith Fielden.

Put The Kettle On is the first mare to win the Arkle since the mighty Anaglog’s Daughter back in 1980 and she gets her name from Mary who “would drink tea for Ireland”!

Ravenhill wins the finale today for Gordon Elliott and Jamie Codd and the Ulster-based syndicate Try Ravenhill Syndicate that includes great point-to-point men Bill Dunlop and Gareth and Aaron Metcalf.

I always admire the way the beaten jockeys seek out and congratulate the winning rider after each race and it’s great to witness point legends Derek O’Connor and Barry O’Neill making a beeline for their own Jamie Codd to wish him good will after his success.

Wednesday

Day two belongs to owner J.P. McManus as his horses rattle up a 1,019/1 four-timer for his green and gold silks and brings J.P.’s tally at the Festival to 64 winners.

“I hardly had a bet today,” he tells us, “I just cheered them home. I didn’t want any extra weight on them.” Fair play to J.P, he never makes these moments about himself, always calling wife Noreen and his family and friends in for the photographs.

I’m sure he has had a lot of great Cheltenhams but to have four winners in a day, surely that will be hard to top.

I learnt this week that J.P. and myself have one thing in common. It’s the sixth decade! This is J.P’s sixth decade having runners at the Festival and it’s my sixth decade taking photographs. Nice to share something with the great man.

We have three Irish winners on track with Envoi Allen living up to his huge reputation for Gordon Elliott who completes a double with Aramax in the Boodles Hurdle making it a third win in that race for the Meathman.

The bumper is won by Willie Mullins when Ferny Hollow and Paul Townend make it a double on the day for owners Cheveley Park Stud. On congratulating Willie afterwards he tells me “I’m like Kerry, getting a score in before half time”.

Thursday

A great day for the Irish with five winners on the track and I’m sure Barry Geraghty, Gordon Elliott and J.P. McManus wish racing was on for another few days here as they share another success when Sire Du Berlais wins back-to-back Pertemps Hurdles.

It marks Elliott’s 30th Festival success and is the middle leg of a treble for the great man with Samcro and Milan Native bookending the day.

Samcro’s win under Davy Russell made it 100 Grade 1s for owners Gigginstown House Stud and the reception that he received along with the second home, Melon, and third, Faugheen, was just electric and well deserved after we witnessed a race for the ages.

Min wins the Grade 1 Ryanair for Team Mullins and owner Rich and Susannah Ricci finally getting his head in front on his fourth visit to the Festival. Willie doubles up when Concertista wins by a whopping 12 lengths under Daryl Jacob and there are great scenes from the Wexford point-to-point men when their own Rob James steers Milan Native home for his maiden festival success trained by Elliott and owned by Gigginstown.

Wexford trainer, Colin Bowe spells it out when he congratulates Elliott telling him fair play for getting Rob to ride “imagine having a 7lb claim and having ridden over 280 winners in points”.

It’s also a special occasion for my own clan as nephew Sean leads in Milan Native along with pony racing champion Sam Ewing.

They came over with Team Elliott last Saturday and were living the dream riding out each morning and leading up a few.

But to lead in a winner here is the icing on the cake for the young lads. Cogs in a wheel they are for Team Elliott and at the minute, they are the biggest wheel at The Festival.