Hounds, horses and hurling

He seems fine and I am happy with him... two miles and five furlongs around Cheltenham is right up his street.

It’s like a scene from 101 Dalmatians. Paul Nolan, man of Wexford, hurler, champion talker and successful racehorse trainer, hits the corner with his entourage — a motley collection of hounds that includes a three-legged Jack Russell and a Rottweiler pup, Frankie, who is the size of a small grizzly bear.

Frankie, whose food rations have been halved, is chewing on his bosses’ hand until a nip on the ear by a Jack Russell persuades him to let go. It’s not quite canine bedlam, but it’ll do until canine bedlam gets here.