Owner thanks late jockey for playing part in win

A JOCKEY who died following a horrific fall last summer helped his former horse win the big race on the first day of the Cheltenham festival, the horse’s owner claimed yesterday.

Laurence Byrne, owner of Smurfit Champion hurdle winner Hardy Eustace, a long shot at 33/1, thanked the late jockey Kieran Kelly for the win.

Byrne from Tullow in Carlow said he only decided to enter the horse in the race after talking to the late 25-year-old jockey. Kildare-born Kelly died four days after a fall in Kilbeggan last August.

“This is a very joyous day and a very sad day. Conor O’Dwyer rode the race of his life, but there were two jockeys out there and Kieran was looking after us. It doesn’t get much better than this,” Mr Byrne said.

“I had a chat with Kieran myself on Saturday night and I’m glad he gave us the answer. All I can say is thank you Kieran.”

The horse was set to run in the Coral Cup today but Mr Byrne and trainer Dessie Hughes made the late decision to enter him in the Champion Hurdle.

Kelly rode the horse to victory in Cheltenham last year and Hardy Eustace’s new jockey O’Dwyer also paid tribute to him.

He said: “It’s very emotional, I know the owner well and I was good friends with Kieran.”

The Champion Hurdle was the second Irish win at Cheltenham yesterday with the fancied Brave Inca, 7/2, getting the festival off to the perfect start for the visitors. Brave Inca beat off another Irish contender War of Attrition to the delight of the 50,000-plus crowd who triumphantly cheered him home.

But there was little for the punters to celebrate later on in the day when the well-backed Kicking King and Rooster Booster failed to win. There was some joy though for Irish racing tycoon JP McManus, whose horse Creon, at 50/1, won the final race of the day.

More than 15,000 Irish race enthusiasts were in Cheltenham yesterday and in excess of stg£12 million was gambled at the course.

Some of the high-profile visitors to Prestbury Park included Ryanair boss Michael O’Leary, footballers Alan Shearer, and Niall Quinn and Government Ministers Charlie McCreevy, John O’Donoghue and Joe Walsh. Irish hopes today rest on Moscow Flyer who is the favourite to win the prestigious Queen Mother Champion Chase.