I DIDN’T know Dessie Hughes personally but he’s been an Irish sporting constant from childhood along with names like Dermot Weld, Ted Walsh, Mouse Morris and so many others that feel pillar-like when it comes to Irish racing.
I heard back in September that Dessie Hughes was unwell. I knew he was in remission from cancer but it was only quietly spoken about in the Weigh Room.
A feature of all the tributes this week has been his easy way with people but I was always struck by the closeness of the relationship he enjoyed with his son Richard. Outwardly at least there appeared to be a great warmth between them.
Typically you don’t see that closeness in racing too often because it’s a sport known for being tough and full of hard men. But to me, moments when Richard achieved and Dessie was there to congratulate him were always a great tonic.
It’s with sadness that the sport bade farewell to this great man. Dessie Hughes was a pillar. You felt he’d be around forever.
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THERE’S nothing better than waking up on a Saturday morning and knowing you’ve a full day’s racing in front of you.
I was down for six rides in Wetherby on Saturday for five different trainers. For my agent Dave Roberts that in itself was a victory but four favourites among the six runners turned up the pressure. It’s the kind of Saturday you want.
I’ve often been in this situation before. You’re sitting in the quiet of the car going through the card in your head while driving to the track. You know you have some quality rides, but you also know that an early fall, a bad start, or just plain bad luck can leave you with no winners and plenty of miles to think about it on the way home.
So to leave Wetherby at the end of the day with three winners and two seconds from my six rides was a great personal mark to hit.
Also, in previous seasons, you’d knock in a double or two so to take three again in one day, just weeks after a treble in Kelso, was special. It was a victory for choice too because I’d the option of two rides at the big November meet in Cheltenham or four at Uttoxeter but we figured the best rides were in Wetherby.
When the day started with a second on a 6/5 Warren Greatrex favourite I thought that one-and-a-half-length winning margin was going to be an omen for the afternoon.
I was almost convinced of it when the name of my next ride was Herecomestrouble for Chris Grant. That wasn’t a live chance but then I had three winners from my last four: Silver Dragon for Tony Coyle (9/2J), One Track Mind (EvensF) for Warren Greatrex and Forced Family Fun (5/2F) for John Quinn.
On Sunday I’d a rare day off. I went out for dinner with my family and had to the chance to savour the moment — and the chance of a decent feed too.
