Henry de Bromhead: 'Losing a child is not something you ever get over - we'd give anything to have him back'
Richard Forristal speaks to the trainer who delivered spectacularly once again at Cheltenham
Physics decrees that you see lightning before you hear thunder but there was a moment at Cheltenham last Tuesday week that might have challenged the natural order of things.
Henry de Bromhead was stationed in his customary viewing spot on the all-weather chute near the last flight of hurdles when Love Envoi led Honeysuckle down to the final flight in the Mares’ Hurdle. Same as the enraptured crowd, he was gripped by the duel, but, on touching down over the last, Honeysuckle’s hind legs slipped beneath her at the moment she needed some purchase to propel her forward. An unwelcome wobble that threatened to ruin the happy ending.
It was like when a boxer gets knocked back on their heels. Gravity and momentum play a part at that stage, but so does character.
Read the full story
Read award-winning journalism from the best writers in racing, with exclusive news, interviews, columns, investigations, stable tours and subscriber-only emails.
Subscribe to unlock
- Racing Post digital newspaper (worth over £100 per month)
- Award-winning journalism from the best writers in racing
- Expert tips from the likes of Tom Segal and Paul Kealy
- Replays and results analysis from all UK and Irish racecourses
- Form study tools including the Pro Card and Horse Tracker
- Extensive archive of statistics covering horses, trainers, jockeys, owners, pedigree and sales data
Already a subscriber?Log in
- 'It's so wonderful to be here. If you're the only person in a wheelchair you find people tend to avoid you. Here you feel ordinary'
- 'I was in so much pain - I needed the time off for my mind and my body'
- 'There has been no promotion because there is nothing to promote' - will Premier racing recover from its stuttering start?
- 'There's a time to be serious because it's a multi-million-pound business - but you've got to have a laugh'
- Internal unrest and financial blows: is there a crisis brewing at the Jockey Club?
- 'It's so wonderful to be here. If you're the only person in a wheelchair you find people tend to avoid you. Here you feel ordinary'
- 'I was in so much pain - I needed the time off for my mind and my body'
- 'There has been no promotion because there is nothing to promote' - will Premier racing recover from its stuttering start?
- 'There's a time to be serious because it's a multi-million-pound business - but you've got to have a laugh'
- Internal unrest and financial blows: is there a crisis brewing at the Jockey Club?