'The year to us is one race at a time, we don't look at anything beyond that'

It takes only one audible bang to shatter the conceit of routine in paradise.

On a glorious day, the golden bronze autumnal shades, low-hanging trees and early-afternoon shadows lull you into an other-worldly sense of security. Ballydoyle does that to you every time you pass inside those big iron gates and cruise on up by Nijinsky’s timeless effigy.

The pristine surroundings and the meticulous care bestowed upon the equine residents evoke an ambience of a controlled environment in which nothing is left to chance.