The horse is chomping at the bit, the jockey’s jodhpurs have been ironed, and the lucky charms are packed, yes, excitement is really brewing up now as a Galway syndicate and their horse, Go Native, make final preparations for next week’s Cheltenhem Festival where they could be in with a chance to win a £1 million bonus.
Defying the odds, rank outsider Go Native achieved an amazing win at the WBX.COM Fighting Fifth Hurdle at Newcastle last November. The gelding then went on to to give an equally impressive win at the Christmas Hurdle in Kempton on St Stephen’s Day. After winning these grade one national hunt hurdle races Go Native is now just one race away from winning the WBX Hurdling Triple Crown if its luck continues in the Champion Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival on March 16. The WBX Hurdling Triple Crown has only ever been achieved once, by Kribensis, which won the three races in the same season in 1989/90.
Go Native is owned by the Docado Syndicate, which includes well-known local business people Eamon Doyle and Kitty Carr, owners of Park House Hotel in Forster Street which last December celebrated 34 successful years in business. The syndicate also includes Ms Carr’s sister Maura Dowd, her husband Sylvie Dowd and their children Anne-Marie and Tom Dowd.
Now with the big win just within their grasp the syndicate are making final preparations and keeping their fingers, and rabbit feet, crossed, but it’s not just the owners of the horse who are getting excited, but all the staff at Park House Hotel too.
“It’s all very exciting, it’s great for the hotel, for the staff, and of course for Galway if Go Native makes it. The staff are all excited and we’ve had so many good luck wishes from the customers too. Tuesday is going to be a good day in the hotel,” Kitty Carr told the Advertiser this week. Ms Carr said that all the gang, including the syndicate, trainer, and lots of loyal followers and well-wishers will be travelling to Cheltenham on Monday. Of course the main focus will be on making sure that Go Native has a smooth journey over and is in fighting form for the race the following day.
“Hopefully the horse will travel well and be in good form on the day. The journey to get him there is always a concern, as well as the form of the horse and that of the opposition. Hopefully we also get good ground,” said Ms Carr.
When asked how the journey with Go Native began, Ms Carr explained: “We bought Go Native about three years ago from a local horse seller, Martin Cullinane, from Athenry. He buys foals and then sells them on. It’s just something that we always wanted to do. Martin was always coming into Park House and seemed to always be connected to the winning horse so we knew that he was the one to get a horse from. We bought Go Native when he was four years old. Martin said he was a good horse, that his pedigree was good. We saw him in the yard and said he was the one for us”.
Well, Mr Cullinane was certainly spot on in his assessment as this young gelding has gone on to bring the syndicate a lot of wins so far but much of that success was accomplished with the help and expertise of well-known trainer Noel Meade.
“Martin suggested that we send the horse to Noel Meade who used to come to Park House when he was attending the Galway Races. He is one of the leading trainers in the country. The horse’s first race was at Leopardstown, he came in sixth or seventh in that but we weren’t dissappointed. Then in six or seven races after that he came second in two of them and first in all the rest. So his record is good.
“Then Noel wanted to enter him in the Fighting Fifth Hurdle. There are three stages, he has won two, at Newcastle and at Kempton. Now Cheltenham is the third. If you make three in a row there is the £1 million bonus. Docado will get £700,000 and Noel Meade will get £150,000, and the remainder will go to the stable lad and team. Noel is very happy with him. He says the horse is in good form,” said Ms Carr.
When asked if there were any obvious threats to Go Native’s chances of securing this fantastic feat Ms Carr replied: “They’re all good horses, they wouldn’t be in the race otherwise. They’ve all won their right to be in the race so they’re all a danger.”
“The main thing is that the horse and the jockey get round and are safe. That’s always a concern at Cheltenham. You go up this steep hill and that’s the time when the horse can get really tired but hopefully he’ll get it. Of couse, we would like to win but the safety of the horse and the jockey is important,” she said.
Apart from all the talk of horses and potential winnings the other important question for any lady to answer is the fashion but it’s not the fashionable hats and shoes I wanted to know about, it was the superstitions; after all anyone who is involved in horse racing has them. But, alas, Ms Carr remained tight-lipped on what kind of good luck charms will be in her Cheltenham festival arsenal, only to say teasingly: “I carry a big bag full but can’t tell you what they are”. Well, whatever those charms are let’s hope they work.
