TO truly appreciate the good days in any walk of life, you have to go through your share of difficult ones, and there is probably no pursuit on earth that puts us through that philosophy more than the sport of horse racing.

The highs come higher and more euphoric than any other. The lows carry the potential to floor anyone. Even Willie Mullins, the country’s winningmost trainer of all time, has described the pursuit of success in racing as “90% disappointment”. Long story short, anyone with skin in the game knows full well that this is not a vocation for the faint-hearted.