Old-fashioned family helps John Bourke to weather the storm

Even an avowed limelight avoider like John Bourke might struggle to remain undercover should he become the breeder of a Racing Post Arkle winner.

The 50-year-old, who runs a dairy farm and keeps around ten mares with his wife Caroline at Longrove Stud in Golden, County Tipperary, has reached the margins of breaking his Cheltenham Festival duck already with Western Ryder running at the meeting for the last three years.

Brewin’upastorm, fourth in last year’s Ballymore, could go even closer for trainer Olly Murphy and champion jockey Richard Johnson, having shown enough promise in both starts over fences to justify his place and hold a spot at the top end of the market.