Will silence be golden for Pat Kelly at Cheltenham?

Another no-show by Presenting Percy at Fairyhouse last Saturday means we will not have seen Ireland's leading Cheltenham Gold Cup candidate over fences for 12 months. If that is an unusual state of affairs in its own right, the fascination is magnified by Pat Kelly's way of doing things.

Whatever view one takes about Kelly's public reticence, there is an undeniable sense of irony involved in how the "not talking" approach has become such a talking point.

It has become an issue, and this may be the best time to address it rather than in a scenario, far from improbable in view of Kelly's feats at recent festivals, in which an outstanding achievement is under consideration. To win a Gold Cup with a second-season chaser whose second season has been confined to a single race over hurdles would be truly extraordinary.