'Who do we fear at the Cheltenham Festival? Put simply, the Irish'

The best quotes from the racing world this week . . .

He could train moderate horses to win decent races, like his dad. Maybe it was just a gift. In all the years I rode for him we never had one cross word or falling out
Former jockey Steve Knight pays tribute to Andy Turnell, the rider of Birds Nest and esteemed trainer, following his death at the age of 73

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Brunico came from half a hurdle behind and Dermot Browne shouted, 'I've won, I've won!' as he passed me on the line – I thought, 'Oh God, I've got beaten again'. But I'd won
Peter Scudamore remembers the day he broke his Cheltenham Festival duck on Solar Cloud in the 1986 Triumph Hurdle

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Straight after that, I backed him for Cheltenham this year. He was 50-1 then. We're yet to find out if that was a good bet, but it seemed like a good move at the time and it's not looking bad just now
Ahoy Senor's owner Bruce Wymer recalls his bullish ante-post festival bet after his star's shock win at Aintree last year

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The horses and the racing were his passion and we were very lucky to be involved. I know he went Flat racing in the end, but I think he was a National Hunt man through and through, he loved his jumping
Sir Robert Ogden's racing manager Barry Simpson fondly speaks about the famous owner following his death

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He texted back saying, 'Bad timing.' I thought I'd woken him up or something, him being in America. But no, another text comes through, 'I'm going through a divorce.' For f**k's sake, says I. Three weeks after being here with the wife, like!
Bloodstock supremo and hotelier John Nallen, famed for the Minella 'clan' of horses, explains how a sale of one of his pointers went through

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Who do we fear? Put simply, the Irish. A 23-5 scoreline from 12 months ago tells its own story, with the ante-post markets suggesting a similar 'greenwash' is on the cards again
Coral's Dave Stevens is worried another Irish domination at the festival could be set for next week

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He's the reigning champion and has a massive chance of defending his crown. I was delighted to get the call confirming I was on him. He has been there, done that and worn the t-shirt
Robbie Power speaks of his joy at getting the call-up to ride Minella Indo for his Cheltenham Gold Cup defence

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Read more quotes of the week:

'When they are afraid to go into her stable, that's when she's at her best'

'I'm sure the bookmakers are squealing but it's very simple - put more money in'

The Cheltenham Ultimate Guide is everything the smart punter needs for the 2022 Cheltenham Festival. With big-race previews, tips, trends and much, much more, the Cheltenham Ultimate Guide has it all. Order now.