IT is six months since Katie Walsh retired as a jockey on a winner at Punchestown but she hasn’t been twiddling her thumbs.“I suppose weekends are probably a bit freer ’cos you’re not going racing,” she considers, before breaking out into that familiar smile.

“I definitely summered well. I went on a good few holidays and things like that but that sales season doesn’t be long coming around and that’s been ongoing since August really.”