Our racing correspondent Cornelius Lysaght delivers his weekly hot takes from around the racing world.
HOURIGAN SHAPED HOLE AT CHELTENHAM
They say that there aren’t the same characters at Cheltenham as there used to be, and certainly there will be a colourful non-runner next week as Michael Hourigan, trainer of star names of yesteryear Dorans Pride and Beef Or Salmon, puts “my devilry days over there” behind him.
Having recently retired after more than half a century with a licence, Hourigan, 77, who started with two boxes behind a pub at Rathkeale, County Limerick and ended up with a beautifully-appointed, 100-horse yard up the road at Patrickswell, will be watching on the telly.
In the process, he’ll doubtless relive the highs and lows of the 1990s and 2000s when having charge of two of the best-loved horses in Ireland meant his trademark punchy style and irrepressible humour were central to the Irish challenge on the Cotswolds.
Multiple visits by Dorans Pride resulted in a famous Stayers Hurdle success (1995) and two third places in the Gold Cup; in contrast, despite iconic status at home, Beef Or Salmon’s five trips to Cheltenham proved fruitless, most memorably when contesting the Gold Cup as a heavily-touted novice (2003), but falling at the third – “I had to be a big man in my shoes that day.”
In all, Hourigan won three Festival races, including narrowly landing a gamble with Deejaydee in the 1999 National Hunt Chase. Reflecting on that, he told me: “As my mother used to say, Cheltenham is all about sorry – sorry you didn’t have more on, like with Deejaydee, or, at other times, sorry you had so much on.” Love it.
HIGH STAKES AT HQ
As Cheltenham comes around again, there’s more at stake than ever after 2024 left many underwhelmed, even irritated. Grumbles covered everything from small and/or uncompetitive fields to the prices, particularly of Guinness, and muddy car parks.
Although a sell-out crowd witnessed Galopin Des Champs claim a second Gold Cup, numbers during the meeting as a whole were down for the second Festival running.
There’s a new management now, with Guy Lavender taking over the hot seat on-track and Dido Harding now heading the Jockey Club; they have been working to iron out issues, and it’s crucial they get it right because Cheltenham is key to not only its own business plan, but also to that of racing as a whole, and if things continue to slip it will be little short of catastrophic.
TALKING HORSES
Sitting next to Harry Skelton this week at a Cheltenham preview, being staged to fund-raise for the wonderful St Richard’s Hospice in Worcester, proved insightful on more than one front.
While the 2020/21 champion jockey enthused about plum mounts like The New Lion and L’Eau du Sud, plus handicappers including Unexpected Party and Be Aware, his excitement about a horse which won’t be at Cheltenham, was particularly striking: Mydaddypaddy.
Skelton believes that in 2026 we may well be talking about the four-year-old, a runaway bumper winner at Huntingdon on Sunday, in the same way as we’re talking about The New Lion now. You read it here first.
For all your horse racing bets, visit our dedicated horse racing betting page.
