‘It was a feather in the cap to get him over because he was iconic’

Last Monday’s Irish Grand National evoked plenty of memories for Roy Craigie, many of them from long before he enjoyed an 11-year stint as Fairyhouse general manager up to 1999.

Unfortunately an ankle problem that has him requiring crutches meant he could not take up an invite to lunch this year, so he missed out for the first time since 1957 and only the second since his first visit as a 10-year-old.