Rio: Irish hopes for some big wins at the four day Cheltenham Festival, were given a welcome boost last night when Irish mare, The Irish People, was given a late entry into the Gold Cup, the festival's biggest race.
Although The Irish People had come through to pip Kauto Star to the post in the King George earlier in the season and had been showing great form for the previous ten seasons, by last week, it seemed unlikely that she would run at Cheltenham at all this year having sustained horrific injuries during training. Belgian owner, Max Von Cunthook of EU Stud explained, "I, and all of The Irish People's connections, had to think long and hard about this one. Very few horses ever come back to racing after having broken their backs. The Irish People's back appeared to be completely shattered. In fact, during many months of X ray, Ultrasound and MRI testing, our vets were completely unable to locate a spine at all. A spineless mare goes nowhere, as the saying goes. She had just been ridden too hard. We decided to go for radical surgery and have her gutted to see if the weight loss would help her back on her feet. Things were touch and go and we thought we'd lose her. Despite all evidence to the contrary though, her trainer, Ian Malignancy-Fox, felt in his heart, that she could take a bit more and he got her back up on her feet for what might just be, her final race. All credit to him. She will be alcoholically medicated, like all her compatriots, throughout the festival week. It helps with the crushing pain of spinelessness. We expect her to go the whole distance. On her knees. "
Mr Malignancy-Fox said, "I can't take all the credit here. I have an excellent team around me down at the training facility in Kildare. The Irish People's stable boy, Enda, is the one who really believed that a spineless horse could make it round Cheltenham one more time. He was, in fact, born spineless and ball-less himself, so he could empathise. She is a sturdy, albeit spineless, horse and she'll run on well. She's used to being ridden hard, her former jockey, the late Lord Brit, rode her good and hard for many a year. She can take a fair bit of pain, he had to get a fair few thumps into her to get her moving. Tarquin Brit, now there was man who could ride on the back of any horse, anywhere in the world and whip the best out of it. Her new jockey, Heinrich Von Berliner, has a lot of recent experience on the Greek racing circuit, he'll know exactly how to handle her too. We think this will be a good week for the Irish"
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| The Irish People, Rearing To Go This Morning |
Although The Irish People had come through to pip Kauto Star to the post in the King George earlier in the season and had been showing great form for the previous ten seasons, by last week, it seemed unlikely that she would run at Cheltenham at all this year having sustained horrific injuries during training. Belgian owner, Max Von Cunthook of EU Stud explained, "I, and all of The Irish People's connections, had to think long and hard about this one. Very few horses ever come back to racing after having broken their backs. The Irish People's back appeared to be completely shattered. In fact, during many months of X ray, Ultrasound and MRI testing, our vets were completely unable to locate a spine at all. A spineless mare goes nowhere, as the saying goes. She had just been ridden too hard. We decided to go for radical surgery and have her gutted to see if the weight loss would help her back on her feet. Things were touch and go and we thought we'd lose her. Despite all evidence to the contrary though, her trainer, Ian Malignancy-Fox, felt in his heart, that she could take a bit more and he got her back up on her feet for what might just be, her final race. All credit to him. She will be alcoholically medicated, like all her compatriots, throughout the festival week. It helps with the crushing pain of spinelessness. We expect her to go the whole distance. On her knees. "
Mr Malignancy-Fox said, "I can't take all the credit here. I have an excellent team around me down at the training facility in Kildare. The Irish People's stable boy, Enda, is the one who really believed that a spineless horse could make it round Cheltenham one more time. He was, in fact, born spineless and ball-less himself, so he could empathise. She is a sturdy, albeit spineless, horse and she'll run on well. She's used to being ridden hard, her former jockey, the late Lord Brit, rode her good and hard for many a year. She can take a fair bit of pain, he had to get a fair few thumps into her to get her moving. Tarquin Brit, now there was man who could ride on the back of any horse, anywhere in the world and whip the best out of it. Her new jockey, Heinrich Von Berliner, has a lot of recent experience on the Greek racing circuit, he'll know exactly how to handle her too. We think this will be a good week for the Irish"
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