WITH a record 19 winners at Cheltenham in 2017, the Irish reached a new peak of success and the memory of Galmoy carrying the Irish flag alone in 1987/’88 became a distant memory.

This year, again, Ireland sends an army of superstars and another bumper harvest can be expected if not quite last year’s record haul.

It is hard to believe that it is 40 years since Monksfield won the Champion Hurdle and the greatest novice hurdler in racing, Golden Cygnet, won the Supreme by 15 lengths, before being tragically killed at Ayr.

Indeed, 1978 at Cheltenham was also a year of gambles. Before the meeting trainer Liam Browne put £300 at 10/1 on his horse Mr Kildare to win “any race at Cheltenham”. The horse who was originally bought for 1,500gns went to Cheltenham with Billy Boy, a pony who had been picked up for £1 and always accompanied Mr Kildare to the races to keep him calm.

Tommy Carmody was Mr Kildare’s jockey and they contested the opening Sun Alliance Novice Hurdle. Backed into 8/11, he cruised around to win easily.

Carmody was having his first rides at Cheltenham and completed a double in the Champion Chase aboard Hilly Way, trained by Peter McCreery, who got up to win by three parts of a length for Boston owner and Mayo-born millionaire Bill Sweeney at 7/1.

Jack Of Trumps, trained by Edward O’Grady, was also backed down to the absurd odds of 8/11 to win the four-mile National Hunt Chase, mainly because he was owned by J.P. McManus, who had just returned from his honeymoon and reportedly predicted: “My horse will win, bar a fall”.

The horse duly fell at the 17th fence and the bookies cheered.

The race still went to an Irish horse, as the Mick O’Toole-trained Gay Tie, ridden by Mr John Fowler, won at 10/1.

J.P. McManus had tried to buy Golden Cygnet and, having been turned down, he had bought Jack Of Trumps instead.

GOLDEN HURDLERS

This was the great era of high-class hurdlers such as Night Nurse, Sea Pigeon and Monksfield. They won six Champion Hurdles between them from 1976 to 1981 (two each).

Before the big race in ‘78, the Waterford Crystal Supreme Novices’ Hurdle was won by the horse considered by many to have been the best never to win the Champion Hurdle.

Golden Cygnet was bought by Galway man Ray Rooney and friends for £1,200, mainly due to Edward O’Grady’s belief in the horse.

At Cheltenham he was ridden by Niall ‘Boots’ Madden and, in a field of 18 runners, they cantered home 15 lengths clear of a very good horse, Western Rose, trained by the great Fred Rimell, who couldn’t believe that any horse could beat his by that margin.

Golden Cygnet covered the distance two seconds faster than Monksfield did in the Champion Hurdle later that day. Rimell said it was the best hurdling performance in 40 years at Cheltenham.

Tragically, Golden Cygnet went on to Ayr for the Scottish Champion Hurdle where, looking a certain winner, he fell.

The horse got to his feet but O’Grady later noticed a huge swelling on Golden Cygnet’s neck. That evening the horse apparently rubbed his head against the trainer, apparently asking for help.

A few days later he died from his injuries and jump racing had lost its brightest talent.

THRILLER

Returning to the 1978 Cheltenham Festival, O’Grady also won the Stayers’ Hurdle with Flame Gun (14/1). Again, ‘Boots’ was on board the winner who, remarkably, had finished second to Mr Kildare in the novice hurdle on the first day.

The Champion Hurdle was a thriller with the veteran Tommy Kinane riding out Dr Mangan’s Monksfield to hold off Sea Pigeon and dual champion Night Nurse (ridden by Mullingar jockey Paddy Broderick to win in 1976 and 1977).

The duels between these great horses continued over the following seasons.

Ireland had six winners after two days of the 1978 Festival and it looked like they might set a new record but the Stewards called off the third day of the meeting, as there was three inches of snow on the track.

The Gold Cup and Triumph Hurdle were transferred to the April meeting which saw Fred Winter finally train a Gold Cup winner when John Francome rode Midnight Court to success.

In spite of all the recent Irish success and the great horses we have produced, it is unlikely that next Tuesday’s Champion Hurdle will have the same quality as it did in 1978, or that we will see a novice hurdler as good as Golden Cygnet.

Not even Samcro.