'Maybe next year' - did Sir Gordon feel the way I do about my holy grail?
It's 2006. I'm 16 years old. Warrens Castle is favourite for the GPT, the 2m amateur riders' handicap on the opening day at Galway. I'd won just my second ever race on him the month before, on rattling fast ground around Leopardstown.
I'll never forget getting into the car to go to Galway, practically bubbling with excitement, and then watching the rain fall solidly for two of the three hours it took to get to the track, drowning my hopes. Warrens Castle drifted like a barge and ran like one, finishing stone last. Maybe next year, I thought.
Fast-forward 15 years (yikes!) and I've managed to get a Royal Ascot winner (Lagostovegas), a Cheltenham Festival winner (Limini) and Grade 1 winner (Sharjah) beaten in the same race. Last year the marathon contest was won by subsequent Group 1 heroine Princess Zoe and I haven't yet had a chance on her, in my defence.
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
Published on 25 July 2021inFeatures
Last updated 20:35, 25 July 2021
Copy- Government says it is working 'at pace' to have white paper measures in force by the summer
- 'The only thing you can do is lie fallow and regroup' - Meades to return with scaled-back operation following blank period
- The Gambling Commission has launched its new corporate strategy - but what are the key points?
- 'It was tragic it happened to Paddy but it was a good thing for the jockeys who followed - good came out of bad'
- Acquisitions, exits and retail resilience - what we learned from Flutter and 888's results
- Government says it is working 'at pace' to have white paper measures in force by the summer
- 'The only thing you can do is lie fallow and regroup' - Meades to return with scaled-back operation following blank period
- The Gambling Commission has launched its new corporate strategy - but what are the key points?
- 'It was tragic it happened to Paddy but it was a good thing for the jockeys who followed - good came out of bad'
- Acquisitions, exits and retail resilience - what we learned from Flutter and 888's results