'She was fifth in a deplorable maiden, Henry - you're talking utter nonsense'

The winner never won another race. The runner-up never won a race of any sort and ended up being rated 95. The third did not actually turn out too bad and has won twice since, although she's only rated 113. The fourth never won afterwards, she has a mark of 105. The fifth? Well, the fifth is why we are here.

It was a gloomy Thursday at Clonmel, damp and miserable, the sort of September evening you wished you were at home in front of a roaring fire rather than watching a bunch of middle-of-the-road mares running around Powerstown Park in a maiden hurdle in which the 4-1 second favourite was only rated 98.

Standing next to me in the press room watching the action unfold, slowly, was Henry de Bromhead, the two of us tucking into a few chicken goujons at the same time.