After last time’s Angry Blog (which was strangely well-received), I have given myself a good talking to and am now in a much more positive mood. A big part of my mood swing is Peter’s remarkably upbeat reports on Suprise Package who is running in a flat maiden on Monday at Ballinrobe. He was second in the same race last year and we think he is fitter and in better form this year.
Of course, Peter, being Peter, needed to temper his confidence by saying, “But, it’s not a penalty kick.” It may not be, but I would like to think it may be “a free kick from a very dangerous position with a poorly constructed wall.”
One of our rivals on Monday is Stariam who is owned by Sally Rowley-Williams. Sally was the owner of Champion Chase winner Special Tiara and she and I met on an Aer Lingus flight to Boston in 2016. She had been over to Ireland to see Special Tiara (or Mister T as she called him); I was returning from seeing Bay of Freedom (or Bay of Freedom as I called him) win the Listed Chase at Wexford. She asked to borrow my Racing Post and we got chatting. I was luxuriating in my only horse winning a big race and casually asked this American woman if she had any horses. I really enjoyed listening to her regale me with tales of all of her horses, her fledgling breeding operation and the positions she held at senior levels in UK racing; all of a sudden it was a bit embarrassing talking about Bay of Freedom.
I should have known better; it was only three years earlier when I had gotten into a conversation with a very nice chap in a restaurant who was planning his wedding with his fiancée. At some point, I asked if they were having a marquee and he nodded that they were. I didn’t think much of it until I googled him back at the hotel and it turned out he was good friends with Prince William and his mother had a 500 acre estate where the 1000 person wedding was being held. Maybe, I should have asked if they were having a ‘big marquee’!
Sally won’t be there on Monday. Ostensibly, that is due to her having been in June for the sales and planning a return in September. I prefer to think that she knows the writing is on the wall and despite being the likely favourite, Stariam will have met her match in Suprise Package. I texted her this morning and said, “Let the battle commence,” and she responded, “Indeed. Have a great visit.” That’s an acknowledgment that we will beat Stariam if I’ve ever seen one!
A quick Sally R-W fun fact: She appeared on a 2013 Grand National edition Come Dine with Me with Mattie Bachelor, Emma Spencer and Mick Quinn. Sally was the host, so I hope she made double portions for Mick!
Of course, given that Joseph O’Brien has won this race for the last two years, we have to be very fearful of his horse, Carlo Bianconi. The horse is owned by that man of TV fame: Kevin Blake. He is also the race planner for Joseph O’Brien, has developed a very impressive stud on Co. Tipperary, and writes some very excellent and thought-provoking articles on the Atttheraces site. I have never met him but I look forward to him congratulating me on Monday evening. (Look at the title of this blog!)
A quick Ballinrobe aside: Ballinrobe is probably my favourite racecourse in what is a close four course competition with Wexford,Dundalk and Leopardstown (one day we can discuss the selection criteria). It is a beautiful setting and every time I go back, they have made further investments in the facilities. They offer free entry to owners even if you don’t have a runner and this spirit is reflected in the tremendously friendly environment. They generate great crowds and have justifiably twice been voted Irish Racecourse of the Year. In my opinion, I would take Ballinrobe over Killarney any day of the week!
Anybody who watched Suprise Package’s run at Cork will be holding their breath when he comes out of the stalls on Monday. You don’t expect horses in a hurdle race to unseat after two yards, but somehow, he managed it. Darragh O’Keefe was riding for those two yards, and I do not blame him at all; it was just one of those things and very unfortunate. I wasn’t there, but Peter said Darragh was very embarrassed, and he refused to accept his riding fee. That was a very classy and unnecessary gesture and shows the genuine nature of the man.
The riding fee is €247.64 and I plan to donate it to the Jockeys Emergency Fund (although, in fairness, Darragh should probably get a proportionate 14 cents for the two yards he managed to stay on!). It was frustrating all around as, given the way the race turned out, I genuinely think he could have been very competitive. In the event, Suprise Package, unburdened by an unnecessary 155 pounds, galloped delightedly for the full two miles, jumping every hurdle. My initial “don’t injure yourself” quickly turned into “look at him, ears pricked, he’s loving it”.
He's been in great form since and, as of Friday night, so was his enthusiastic trainer. Now, as we all know, the Peter Fahey Syndrome does not fully kick in until 24 hours before the race. At this point, all previous confident predictions are rendered obsolete by a frustrating commitment to illogical pessimism. I fully expect that to be the case on Monday evening, which is why I am memorializing my rosy-hued recollection of last night’s conversation.
In fairness, I have to be positive to take on the 8000 mile round trip and Suprise Package and dinner with Peter and Ber make it all worthwhile. In between, I have a Board Meeting on Tuesday which will be uniquely non-contentious and Freedom to Dream’s potential farewell appearance.
Yes, the time has come to consider retirement for Freedom to Dream. That is not negative at all. In fact, retirement is a wonderful, although surprisingly elusive, thing. But that can wait until Tuesday’s blog, when we will revisit Suprise Package’s win (necessary reminder – look at the title) and discuss Freedom to Dream in an incredibly positive way. The blog is provisionally titled “What have you been smoking?”