ON October 11th 1945 a five-year-old horse Golden Days, a son of Daytona, dead-heated with the three-year-old Providential for the Carrickmacross Plate over a mile.

The race was worth £53 to the winner and Golden Days carried the famous black and red colours of Bertie Kerr.

Incredibly, a year earlier Golden Days dead-heated for the same race with another horse, Salaam, who was trained, like Providential, by the Australian-born Tim O’Sullivan who had his stables at Portmarnock, Co Dublin.

That occurrence happened two months after Golden Days dead-heated yet again, this time at Leopardstown, with the Joe McGrath-owned, and Michael Collins-trained, Hello Peter, ridden by Morny Wing.

Fast-forward more than three-quarters of a century to Cork on May 6th and another Golden Days, this time a five-year-old mare by Canford Cliffs, bred by Grange Stud and the Barry’s Manister House Stud, won. This €10,000 yearling purchase by Kerr & Co races in the name of the Front Row Partnership and carried the same Kerr family colours in use now for so long in Irish racing. She is trained by Tracey Collins, a granddaughter of the aforementioned Michael. The Collins and Kerr families have a long history of friendship.

The ‘first’ Golden Days was purchased as a yearling by the late Bertie Kerr, and the story goes that there was a “mighty coup” pulled off at Dundalk, with Golden Days returned at 9/2. Between the two wins at the Co Louth venue Golden Days had raced 14 times, managing just a pair of placed efforts.

The male Golden Days ended up winning a total of eight races, up to the age of eight years, and he was one of seven winners from his dam Madam Jitters (by Concerto), one of which was the Railway Plate winner Asylum (Fairhaven).

Music fan

Golden Days got his name because Bertie Kerr was a great music fan, and his favourite musical was The Student Prince by Sigmund Romberg. In the show the Prince revisits Heidelberg University where he has enjoyed such happy times as a young man. Bertie Kerr’s favourite song from the show was a number called Golden Days.

Bert Kerr has in his possession a number of photographs of the original Golden Days winning, and all were captioned in his own handwriting by Bertie Kerr. Perhaps today’s Golden Days will go on to be a prolific winner, just as her predecessor was.

What about the name ‘Front Row Partnership’, a group comprising the Kerr family and friends? Not surprisingly, this also has a Kerr connection. Apart from being an established rugby term, it is the name of the 1968 Irish 1000 Guineas winner. Front Row, a daughter of Court Martial’s son Epaulette, was owned by the Kerr family at two and sold on to join the Newmarket trainer Ryan Jarvis. At three she became a classic winner and at stud she bred 10 winners.

Ten winners

Front Row’s first foal was the Group 2 Horris Hill Stakes winner Long Row (Linacre), while her 10th winner was Colmore Row (Mummy’s Pet), and his most important success was in the 1987 Group 3 Norfolk Stakes at Royal Ascot. Descendants of Front Row include the Group 1 Irish Oaks winner Possessive Dancer, the speedy Mind Games, and that sire’s Group 2 Richmond Stakes winner Always Hopeful.

Front Row was one of three Group 1 winners out of the stakes-placed Panaview, by Panaslipper, and the others were the Adelaide Cup winner Panamint, and Black Satin. The latter mare, a full-sister to Front Row, also won the Irish 1000 Guineas, two years after her sibling, and she bred the Grade 1 winner and sire Czaravich.