LIKE every other National Hunt trainer in the country, I am very much looking forward to the resumption of jumps racing on Monday. As it stands, we won’t have to wait very long, as I have a runner in the opening maiden hurdle. After being off since March, it’s nice to get going again as I think we have some good prospects for the season ahead.

My father held a licence in the ‘70s and ‘80s, so effectively I grew up in a racing yard. It was always a small operation but we did well with limited numbers, sending out numerous winners over the years. One of my early memories is of a horse named Fancy Pat, who won on a Tuesday at Ballinrobe, before going down to Tralee to win again two days later. The Kerry tracks always proved very lucky hunting grounds for my father, something that continued to be the case when I took over the licence.