VIRGINIA McGrath, who competed for Ireland in eventing at two Olympic Games (Atlanta 1996 and Sydney 2000) and at World and European championships, only maintains contact with the sport these days as a cross-country score sheet collector at Tattersalls International Horse Trials.

She is now heavily involved with the breeding and rearing of thoroughbreds at Simmonstown Stud where she took time out after Christmas to watch racing on television. She had a particular interest in two horses, Elusive Belle and that 2014 Elusive Pimpernel mare’s year-younger full-brother, Soviet Pimpernel. They are out of the Soviet Star mare Soviet Belle.

Bred by Windflower Overseas Holdings, Elusive Belle began her career in Ireland with Peter Fahey for whom she was placed twice in three bumper runs. She was then sent to the November Sale at Cheltenham last year where she was knocked down for £180,000 to Highflyer Bloodstock which was acting on behalf of owner Robert Waley-Cohen.

The latter’s son, amateur jockey Sam, has ridden the mare in her six subsequent starts, all over hurdles, out of Nicky Henderson’s yard, winning twice on the bay. She has also been runner-up twice, including as the 5/4 favourite, at Kempton last Friday, December 27th.

Soviet Pimpernel, who was bred by Virginia, is trained by Fahey for Fergal O’Neill’s Direct Bloodstock. After being placed twice, he landed a bumper on his third start and followed up that win by one over hurdles before finishing second over timber at Cheltenham in October. On Sunday, the four-year-old bay gelding, partnered as usual by Kevin Sexton, won the Grade 3 Irish Independent Hurdle at Limerick by a comfortable two and a half lengths.

Real character

“I love this horse,” said Virginia. “He comes back to us here at Simmonstown Stud for his holidays each year and is a real character. If the race had been at Leopardstown, I might have gone to see him run but Limerick is just too far away.

“We have seven of the 25 mares here on the stud due to foal early so I couldn’t get away. My last contact with riding is disappearing before my eyes as we are having the large sand arena turned into five all-weather turn-out paddocks.”

One former international event rider who did go racing over the Christmas period was Co Down’s Edwin Bryson who travelled south to Leopardstown on Sunday with the breeders of a Grade 1 winner.

To find out more, see page 38-39.