IT was refreshing to be at Conor O’Dwyer’s yard on the Curragh on Monday morning, and find a man enthused and invigorated, ready to pivot as necessary but anxious most of all to let the world know that he is open for business.

The man who won two Gold Cups and two Champion Hurdles as a jockey, turns 60 next year, and he nodded with a smile when a member of the press pack noted that as most of his best years in the saddle came in the latter period, so perhaps the same can apply as a licensed trainer.