Robbie McNamara’s courage an inspiration to us all

There was some terrific Irish racing on ATR last Sunday, from Navan and Limerick, but for many of us the real highlight came at the end of the programme when Gary O’Brien interviewed Robbie McNamara.

Robbie’s whole world was turned upside down when suffering horrific injuries at Wexford on the evening of April 10.

It came in the first race, a maiden hurdle, when his mount, Bursledon, fell at the fourth last.

Course commentators in this country are brilliant at telling their audience when a jockey, who has taken a tumble, is about to rise.

Chances are many family members are watching and commentators seem to be more than aware that reassuring them all is well is hugely important.

That never happened at Wexford, for obvious reasons, but it was much later in the night before we began to realise just how serious it was for Robbie. He has made a remarkable recovery in just a short few weeks, but clearly still faces a long road ahead.

But to see him at Navan was so uplifting and his chat with O’Brien was simply riveting.

This was an interview that had to be high on sensitivity and O’Brien handled it quite beautifully. He gently probed McNamara, without ever being overly intrusive. And Robbie more than rose to the occasion.

To watch the young man, who is heading down an uncertain road, respond with such dignity, courage and poise was just inspiring.

He is only 26 years-of-age, but I almost feel as if I’ve known him forever. There is usually a twinkle in his eye and he is a rogue, in the very best sense of that word.

What he was also, of course, was a superb artist in the saddle. Robbie is 6ft 3in in height and has basically fought nature for years. He was always riding at the wrong side of 11-0 and, for a long time, was one of the best amateurs in the country. His relationship with the great Dermot Weld is the stuff of legends.

McNamara eventually decided to try his hand at the professional game and it was clearly going to be difficult for him to succeed, with opportunities limited because of his height and, as a consequence, weight.

Anyway, one of my favourite stories regarding Robbie came at the Galway festival in 2012. Early in the marathon Dermot Weld told my old pal, Peter O’Hehir, and myself that his Rock Critic would win a maiden hurdle on the Saturday.

Now Rock Critic was a very smart horse on the flat, but this was his first venture over jumps. So, making sure he was a certainty demanded a little more investigation, seeing as some of us intended to get the Christmas expenses, in early August!

Queue seeking Robbie, who was set to do the driving. Later in the week, the matter was duly discussed and there was no lack of enthusiasm at all on his part.

“Whatever you do, Robbie, don’t go down the inside,’’ I offered.

He looked at me as if I had two heads. “I’ll be going down the inside.’’

It was typical of a jockey that was perfectly in tune with the ability he possessed. As it turned out Rock Critic won with so much in hand that he would probably have done the business had he run backwards!

In the coming weeks and months Robbie is going to undergo intensive rehabilitation and we can only hope and pray it proves successful.

All of us in the racing community have just one wish for this year and that is to see him back on his feet.

But whatever the final outcome, the man we saw on our televisions last Sunday clearly has the balls to make the very best of his life going forward.

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This promises to be a significant weekend for Ballydoyle, with Gleneagles and Giovanni Canaletto running at the Curragh.

Gleneagles contests the 2000 Guineas this afternoon and has the potential to be a superstar.

His six outings as a juvenile told us he was a very good horse, but you couldn’t say there was any great wow factor.

But that all changed in the English 2000 Guineas at Newmarket three weeks ago. I don’t think many were prepared for the display produced by Gleneagles.

He coasted through the contest and picked up in the closing stages in the style of a top-class colt.

We will be looking for more of the same today.

Ballydoyle right now does not seem to house a possible Epsom Derby winner, but Giovanni Canaletto could change all of that in the Gallinule Stakes tomorrow.

He was due to run at Chester, but a poor scope meant had to miss that meeting and be re-routed here.

A brilliant winner of his maiden at Leopardstown in October, he was reportedly going particularly well at home prior to Chester.

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You couldn’t fail to be impressed by Dermot Weld’s Forgotten Rules in a Group 3 at Navan on Sunday.

Now a five-year-old, this was only the fourth race of his life and to give 5lbs to the ultra-smart, race-fit Answered was a smart effort.

Hopefully, no firm will appear in the ground description for Royal Ascot and, that being the case, he will take some whacking in the Gold Cup.