I WAITED for a long time to get my hands on the fabulous velvet horse. And I never did get him.

He was sighted, once upon a time, in the window display of Lucy Soraghan’s corner shop on the corner of Park St in Dundalk.

It was the traditional Irish corner shop of the 70s, selling all kinds of sweets from jars, along with cheap toys, souvenirs and ornaments.

As a horse-mad child in a non-horse family, you had to feed off the scraps. I had various shapes and sizes of toy horses adapted from different farm sets and ornaments, all to be moulded into something like a racehorse.

They were made from various materials, the ornamental ones looked good but inevitably they were dropped and an ear broke off or a tail chipped.

Then one day my mother came home from a trip to town and told me of this fabulous horse in the window of that corner shop where we usually got some sweets before getting the bus home. I could visualise him clearly. Black velvet, with a proper tail. Proper reins and bridle. And the incredible velvet horse would never get scratched or broken. I was Oliver Twist – please mam can I have one?

Us children only got taken to town once every few months but every time my mother returned, she faced the same questions. Was the horse there? Did you get him?

Over the course of many months, I waited for those return trips from town. She always missed him. There was always some excuse. Someone had just bought the last one. “But will she be ordering more in…?”

After about two years, it slowly dawned on me that there never was a fabulous velvet horse. I had been told a tale the first time and had to be humoured the rest.

El Gran Senor

So, 40 years on, where is the fabulous velvet horse today? For the last few months, top flat trainers have been looking at theirs. The first classic takes place in Newmarket today. The Kentucky Derby is tonight. So many trainers will have great hopes that they have that fabulous velvet horse.

Newmarket has seen many fabulous horses made flesh. Before my time, there was Nijinsky and Brigadier Gerard. El Gran Senor was the first horse I saw that matched the description. Poetry cantering to post. A few more came close. Zafonic, Dancing Brave. Then Sea The Stars WAS the fabulous velvet horse. Not everyone realised it at the time but 12 years ago today Frankel became a second outstanding horse of our times.

Ger Lyons had his first fabulous one with Siskin last year. Aidan’s had more than his fair share of “incredible” horses but there’s always room for a new one. From the pre-season photos, Battleground looked like he could be one. But with five colts in the top rank of the betting? You can only have one.

Could Jessie have her fabulous one in Lucky Vega? Will Thunder Moon add to Joseph’s haul? Jim Bolger has had a few and it would be another achievement to breed a Guineas winner from a Guineas winner, from one of his fabulous horses. Poetic Flare > Dawn Approach > New Approach. This pre-season hasn’t given to many clues. Let’s hope the wait is worth it.