WHEN GIVEN your chance to wow the world, you have to take it. Jack Kennedy took it.
Friday afternoon saw the Dingle man win the coveted Gold Cup riding Minella Indo in an excellent race.
The horse was trained by Waterford man Henry de Bromhead, who had as good a week as anyone in Cheltenham.
But while Kennedy's race itself was a vision of skill and precision, it was his interview afterwards that really endeared him to the people.
Visibly emotional, he discussed battling back from horrific injuries to win the Gold Cup, saying: "I can't believe it. This is what I've dreamt of since I was a child. This is what I live for. I just can't believe this is after happening."
He fought back the tears as he repeated "I can't believe this is after happening. I'm delighted."
Take a look:
"This is what I've dreamt of since I was a child.
"This is what I live for. I just can't believe this is after happening."
An emotional Jack Kennedy after winning the Gold Cup on Minella Indo!#TheGoldCup #CheltenhamFestival #VMTVRacing@jackkennedy15 | @HenrydeBromhead pic.twitter.com/NaqDs51y8v— Virgin Media Sport (@VMSportIE) March 19, 2021
And it was a great week for the Irish overall, with Tipperary's Rachael Blackmore absolutely dominating the festival from start to finish.
Her mother Eimir also had a brilliant interview on Friday, where she talked about how proud she is of her incredibly talented daughter.
You can take a look at that here.
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