THEN AGAIN, LOSING one’s marbles at a Cheltenham Preview Night TM is hardly anything new.
These can be trying events. In his heyday, the late trainer Oliver Brady would run what was probably the only one in his native County Monaghan.
He would have the numerical (if not necessarily intellectual) equivalent of the 12 apostles at the top table and go the extra mile by bringing a horse he trained into the little hall in which the preview took place.
Brady didn’t drink and, being frank, drink definitely helps at a preview night. They can drag on into the following day, the “experts” offering their Cheltenham tips struggling to cope with another round of free pints from the barman. But they are generally a bit of craic, occasionally insightful and best kept to two hours or less.
Thom ‘Bugsy’ Malone did an excellent job in this regard on Thursday evening in Kennedy’s, Westland Row, keeping it to a tight 80 minutes as MC. But back to the marbles.
You do not expect to hear of them at a preview night but there you are. Kate Harrington, seated between yours truly and trainer Denis Hogan to Malone’s left, was quizzed on Apple’s Jade’s Champion Hurdle prospects on Tuesday week and specifically the notion that she will avoid the negative consequences in terms of racing performance of being in season (ready to mate). This has been her downfall before (Apple’s Jade that is.)
Kate initially tried to admit where she wants her mother Jessica’s Supasundae to run – Champion Hurdle or Stayers’. “I think… oh God, actually… I read Davy Russell’s comment that the longer evenings and the warmer weather don’t really suit (Apple’s Jade).
“They put a marble in to mimic that she’s pregnant, so she doesn’t come into foal. I have never actually watched them put it in! They can absorb them in spring. I don’t know where it goes in the body.
“They can absorb the marble as well. It can disappear without them knowing. Then they probably don’t want to scan her so close to Cheltenham.”
Kate is pressed further on Supasundae. “I don’t know! I want to see him work next week; I was very happy with his work this week.” She adds that he is a bit of a law onto himself, but is pressing her mother to declare him in cheekpieces at the Festival.
She has news of Sizing John, too, who has edging towards forgotten territory even if he won the Gold Cup less than two years ago. “He is good; he is already back walking. If we have a wet summer, maybe he’ll have a summer campaign.
“It’s unfortunate we don’t have him at Cheltenham but the team for next week is good; hopefully eight to 10 runners.”
Kate gives Honeysuckle as her banker of the meeting (mares’ novice hurdle) but gives a favourable mention to her mother’s Emily Moon in the same race. What of stablemate Walk To Freedom in the Pertemps? “He’s a bit cracked, to say the least… (but) very well-handicapped.”
Later we get to Friday and the Triumph Hurdle. I tell the audience that Sir Erec is such a good thing that I recently gave a mate a €200 docket on him winning the race at 6/4 as a wedding gift. Most people in the crowd seem to be laughing, whether that is a good sign or not. Did you ever give a monkey as a wedding gift?
“He could be around for the next four years and win a couple of Champion Hurdles but he’s very short,” says Hogan, but then he says the horse “is probably a superstar.” Hardly short odds so at odds-against?
Kate recalls trying to deal with the owner of her mum’s The King after he was turned over at short odds at Limerick last year. “Sir Erec beat him that day so every time Sir Erec has run since I’m texting that owner.”
The Gold Cup chat illustrates the power of WhatsApp. I’ve mischievously put up on Twitter a photo of chewed-up ground at Galway racetrack with the fences turned around (as if to mimic Cheltenham, presumably for a local horse going there).
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Denis had shared it with me but, incredibly, the photo was taken by the best friend of my mate who had gotten the Sir Erec docket and happened to be with me at the preview night. “That is the photo my buddy took,” he tells an incredulous Denis.
Who else could it be, though, other than Presenting Percy? Maybe we are reaching for likeable conclusions. “A few point-to-pointers probably, preparing for the sales,” Kate speculates, smiling. “Maybe it’s just rag-week in Galway,” I counter.
Is the fact he has not even run over fences this season a negative? “For me, I would have loved to run him at Gowran, I can’t understand why they didn’t,” Hogan argues.
“But who am I to second-guess Pat Kelly? He’s a genius. Top-class trainer, keeps it simple, runs away from the likes of Johnny.”
Kate is worried. “A horse is favourite, and he hasn’t even run over Cheltenham since last year’s festival? How is that even happening!? I can’t have him. It’d be the training performance of a lifetime.”
Pat Kelly likely won’t be telling the media anything but I reckon he can still win. It’ll be a big deal for County Galway too. Here’s hoping. And we do have hearsay.
“All I know is,” Hogan concludes, “I was down in the yard and congratulated Pat after the (RSA Chase) last year; he said ‘thanks’, patted the horse and said: ‘We’ll win the Gold Cup next year’.”
Coming towards the end, Kate gives a tip that does not hail from her yard but may as well. Robbie Power, she says, has warned her mother not to run anything in the JLT because, quite simply, Lostintranslation will win it.
Lostintranslation. If ever there were a suitable tip at a Cheltenham preview night.
Before the madness of Cheltenham, there is Dundalk this evening, where Ryan Moore is the star attraction. He steers odds-on U S S Michigan in the second (5.45) but young Jack Davison, who struck with a 40/1 maiden winner seven days ago, has a lively each-way alternative in 16/1 Will Be King.
At similar odds, chance The Mulcare Rover in the handicap hurdle at Navan (2.55) on Sunday for Dot Love, the Danish woman who trains in the midlands.
I wonder has Dot ever schooled a horse in Galway the wrong way around.
Bernard Jackman joins Murray Kinsella and Gavan Casey to discuss the backlash to World Rugby’s league proposal, captaincy styles, sports psychology and more in The42 Rugby Weekly.
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