TONY Mullins reckons that close on 40,000 rocked up to Punchestown on day three of its festival in 1986.
Whatever the true figure – there was never an official one and perhaps more claim to have been there than were – it was a rare moment in Irish racing when you had to be there or claim as much.
Mullins was reunited with the legendary Dawn Run, who would duel with just Buck House, the Mouse Morris-trained winner of the Champion Chase that March. In an era of few Irish winners at Cheltenham, the country, ravaged by emigration, had two proper stars.
“You could even hear the crowd when galloping down the back straight; usually you wouldn’t hear a sound down there,” Mullins later told the Racing Post. Morris now responds to a request as to his age with characteristic wit: “You wouldn’t ask a woman that!” Whatever his age, he has been training well over 40 years, and played his role in one of racing’s iconic days.
As a rider, in 1974 he helped Edward O’Grady claim his first Cheltenham Festival winner when riding Mr Midland to victory in the National Hunt Chase, while he rode Skymas to back-to-back victories in the Queen Mother Champion Chase in 1976 and 1977.
Training happened somewhat by chance. “My first winner was actually called Faugheen. Demi O’Byrne was involved in him. With my partner at the time, I started to train from where I am today in the early ‘80s, we were looking for a house.
“It was in need of repair. There was really no land here and it wasn’t our intention to train here but we converted cowsheds into stables, someone asked me to take a horse and that’s how it started.”
Morris jokes that training was “the last thing I wanted to do” but one senses it is in jest. “I was still riding at the time but it was very up and down, more down than up, breakages and all of that. I enjoyed the training from the start. Edward O’Grady was nearly top of the tree at the time even though he was only a couple of years older than me.
Ideas
“I kind of went my own way [in terms of training methods]. I had my own ideas even though we started off with no facilities. In those days you could talk to a bank manager. A bit of land came up to beside me and we were able to buy it – paying for it was another thing.”
Perhaps ‘Mouse’ was fortunate to have an early superstar in Buck House who, like Moscow Flyer, was nothing out of the ordinary in bumpers. In defence of the Co Galway native, he sourced the horse for what was a sizeable sum in a country in which money was scarce.
“I was lucky, I suppose, to get Buck House early in my career. He was a good looking horse. I bought him at Goffs for about 10 grand – plenty at the time, with Bobby Lanigan. Then Michael Purcell, one day when we were having dinner in the Horse And Jockey, asked me to get him a horse. I told him I had one even though I didn’t know at the time he was any good.”
Michael Purcell bought the horse for his brother, Seamus. “He was jumping fences as a three-year-old, which wasn’t done in those days. He was always a natural jumper. Funnily enough, he took ages to win a bumper – one day he jumped out over the rail about 100 yards before the winning post under John Queally at Listowel.”
Before he won the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle, Morris recalls being “hopeful rather than confident. It was an era when the Irish had no winners. But he was always going to be a different horse over fences. Racing wasn’t in a great place, the country was in a bad way, so looking back on Dawn Run and him in a match race, it was an awful risk.
“Imagine if one of them fell at the first. It would have fairly gone flat on its face. Punchestown was wired to the moon that day. So much talk and excitement. Half of the country stopped to watch it on the TV. I don’t remember a lot about the race but Tommy Carmody gave Buck House a fine ride. Dawn Run finished in front of him in the (1984) Champion Hurdle and she held all the aces.”
Three legends
The three horses with which Morris will be most associated, perhaps forever, are Buck House, Rule The World and War Of Attrition – in whatever order. The last pair were both owned by Michael O’Leary, whose ruthless approach to business was perhaps part of his mindset in giving horses to a select number of trainers. Morris was among them – until he wasn’t.
War Of Attrition’s 2006 Gold Cup win brought together two of racing’s most popular personalities – Mouse and Conor O’Dwyer – and of the son of Presenting, Morris says: “They can never take that back, you know?
“Conor and that horse got on like a house on fire. Conor was top of the tree and the horse was a pure gentleman of a horse. I was sh*tting myself on the day – I’d have had a good few fags, I’ll tell you that.
“Did the departure of the owner leave me bitter? It left me disappointed. We had good times together on the good days but sh*t happens. It’s a big kick in the teeth to lose 10 horses in one go. But I wasn’t going to retire, it never entered my head.”
Step away O’Leary and step in Robcour and Clonmel businessman Brian Acheson. Acheson came to buy a horse for Morris that did not work out but French Dynamite, Indiana Jones and one Gentlemansgame came along since. Staggeringly, the average chase mark of the trio is north of 150 – showing the influence Acheson has had on Morris’ revival.
“I’ve owners here pretty much since the start, I’ve not many owners but very loyal owners. It’s because I’m a nice fellow, you know! Robcour has been great.”
Ready
The way Morris talks about Gentlemansgame, given his well-earned reputation for getting one ready for the big day, the more one is inclined to listen. He likens the relationship the horse has with Darragh O’Keeffe to that of O’Dwyer and War Of Attrition and genuinely feels he goes to the Boodles Gold Cup with a realistic chance.
The eight-year-old has only run three times over fences – hammering I Am Maximus at Leopardstown on his only start as a novice, chasing home Easy Game over an inadequate trip on his return at Gowran and seemingly outstaying Bravemansgame in the Charlie Hall.
“I was very hopeful from the start he was going to be very good but he’s had his problems along the way. He’s had growing pains, that’s the best way to describe them. I’ve a lot of patience with horses, maybe not with people but definitely horses, and the owners have come along for the ride.
“When he beat I Am Maximus, you’d not have thought the form would look as hot as it does now. He’s such a good jumper, a natural, and he stays really well.
“Missing Leopardstown wasn’t a worry to me – it was a nice race but just a bit close to Cheltenham. Four and a half weeks isn’t ideal in my view, if he got a hard race, or any hiccup, so I’d prefer to run him fresh at Cheltenham.
“My fellow is an out-and-out stayer and, to be fair, at Wetherby he was a bit out of motion at the second last. I’d be a bit disappointed Bravemansgame hasn’t really franked the form but I suppose Allaho did boost the King George form since at Thurles.
“My lad was about 90% at Wetherby – pretty ready. Cheltenham and the hill should suit – hopefully he is only getting going up the hill. He’s very uncomplicated. I think I’ve as good a chance as anything in the race bar Galopin Des Champs – I think we’re as good as the rest.”
Prospect
Morris also has a nice prospect in the Glenfarclas Cross Country Chase in Foxy Jacks. Rachel Carthy’s gelding has been hit and miss over fences but has thrived over the banks, winning under Gavin Brouder at the November meet at Cheltenham, and running a cracker hurdling since at Leopardstown.
“If he jumps like he did in November at the Festival he’d have a chance. I might run one or two in the handicaps as well. Indiana Jones and Franciscan Rock are the possibilities.”
If you spend an hour or two in his yard in Fethard, there are the certainties of dogs running around and head lass Sarah Neville, a massive cog in the wheel.
Mouse says he’d like to think he’s changed and tweaked little things there over the course of over four decades but admits trying to compete “with the big soldiers” is tough.
“I wouldn’t like to be starting to train now.”
But training another Gold Cup winner? You sense that’s not so daunting.