THERE are horses for courses, and when it comes to Galway, there are certain trainers that spring to mind too. Noel Meade is right up there, and it’s not until he lists off his victories that I truly understand his accomplishments.

“We had great years, with plenty of smaller winners in between,” Meade recalls on another journey west, to Ballinrobe. “At this stage, I think I’ve been lucky enough to win all the big ones, bar one. We won the amateur race five times, I think, and the race on Tuesday [now Colm Quinn BMW Mile], three times, maybe four.