WE are absolutely delighted to pass on birthday wishes to trainer John Hayden who is 80 today. His daughter Alice commented: “Dad is a man of many talents, he played county football for Kildare many moons ago and worked hard all his life including running a 350 head dairy herd. Another achievement was that he took flying lessons and flew his friend to the Galway races.

“He was one of the first people to go to the U.S. and bring back foals through his friendship with Jonathan Irwin and the old BBA in the 1970s. He bought a foal by Gallant Romeo which was sold in the early days of the new Goffs at Kill for Ir£72,000, a huge sum in those days. He pin-hooked for many years.