1982

THERE were six horses whose name began with the letter A running in the Trusthouse Forte Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe.

It is hard to believe that runners with that initial took the first four places in the race, and even harder to believe that one of them was not Assert. In fact, his fate was probably sealed when at 10.30pm on Saturday night the heavens opened, and the already soft ground was transformed to heavy.

Pat Eddery reported that Assert could never show his true action on that soggy ground, and sadly the Robert Sangster colt was well beaten into eleventh place.

For the fourth year in a row, France’s top race was won by a filly. All credit to the Aga Khan’s Akiyda for following so nobly in the footsteps of Three Troikas, Detroit and Gold River. After a titanic last furlong struggle, Yves Saint-Martin kept the three-year-old going under the strongest possible pressure to thwart the furiously sustained challenge of Lester Piggott on Ardross.

Causing a complete surprise, Awaasif, the unconsidered John Dunlop-trained outsider, took third place half a length adrift of Ardross, while April Run, last year’s third, ran gallantly to capture fourth spot. Akiyda’s 74-year-old trainer, Francois Mathet, was claiming his fourth success in the event.

The day started dramatically, with a certain section of the employees of the communist-inspired CGT Union refusing to go to work on the course. This would have forced the big-race field to run up a track which was badly cut up and in poor shape, with divots not replaced from the previous day.

It was partly due to the Sangster team’s influence that the dispute was resolved in time for the rail to be removed prior to the race. Otherwise, Assert might well not have run, causing untold confusion and loss of revenue to the Pari Tierce.

[What great racemares those four Arc winners were, all being rated European champions in the year of their greatest victory. How did they later perform as broodmares?

Akiyda, an own-sister to Group 1 winner Akarad (Labus) and a half-sister to the French Derby winner Acamas (Mill Reef), had only two foals, one of which died after birth. Her sole survivor was the unraced Akishka (Nishapour), dam of seven winners including Group 2 winner Akbar (Doyoun), Grade 2 hurdle winner Akasian (Alzao), and listed winner Akhiyar (Doyoun).

Three Troikas (Lyphard) won four Group 1 races, bred a Group 3 winner Three Angels (Halo), and is third dam of Group 1 winner The Right Man (Lope De Vega).

Detroit (Riverman), like Akiyda, enjoyed her sole Group 1 success in the Arc. Three of her five winners were group winners, notably another winner of the Group 1 Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe, Carnegie (Sadler’s Wells). She is the fourth dam of Group 1 Melbourne Cup winner Twilight Payment (Teofilo).

Three-time Group 1 winner Gold River (Riverman) had four winners, including Group 1 Prix Saint-Alary winner Riviere D’Or (Lyphard) and stakes winner and French 2000 Guineas runner-up Goldneyev (Nureyev). Her descendants include Group/Grade 1 winners Goldikova (Anabaa), with 14 wins at the highest level, Goldikova (Anabaa), and Galikova (Galileo)]

The thinker, Enda Bolger

2012

TRAINER and handler Enda Bolger, to welcome the new point-to-point season, was asked 10 quick-fire questions. These are his answers:

What is your earliest point-to-point memory? Kilkenny Hunt at Gowran Park in the 1970s, watching Ted Walsh and John Fowler battling it out.

What has been your best day’s pointing so far? Ward Union, Fairyhouse, and Limerick Harriers at Friarstown, riding five winners each day. Beating Willie Rooney’s 40-year record at Ballingarry in 1998. Oh, also beating JT McNamara by a head at Rochestown in Cork.

And the worst? Tipperary Hunt point-to-point at Cashel where I dislocated a shoulder and fractured an ankle.

What is the best horse you have seen running in a point? Elegant Lord; he was unbeaten in point-to-points. He also won the Cheltenham and Liverpool Foxhunters’.

What riders have impressed you the most, both past and present? John Berry, Tony Martin and Roger Hurley from the past. Of today’s riders, JT McNamara, Derek O’Connor and Jamie Codd.

What up-and-coming handler is the one to watch?‘Farmer’ Doyle.

Is there one thing about point-to-points that you would like to see changed or improved? No. I think the National Hunt Committee, plus the hardworking local committees, have brought the sport to the highest standard in all respects.

What horse should we follow this season? On The Fringe.

What meetings do you look forward to the most? Athlacca for top racing and the most picturesque track, and Lemonfield for the craic.

What advice would you give to a young person? Work with the best people in the business, and hopefully you’ll gain from their advice and experience.

Impulsive Gallagher helps Focus Ireland

2007

BRENDAN Gallagher is an impulsive man. On Tuesday night, however, acting on impulse cost him a whopping €14,000.

Not that Brendan was complaining. He and his wife Olive own the very successful Emerald Bloodstock, based in Kilcullen. Goffs sale week is a very busy time for the agency.

As the last lot passed through the ring on Tuesday night at the Goffs Million, Henry Beeby announced the sale of an extra special lot. In aid of Focus Ireland, who help Ireland’s 5,000 homeless people, the Goffs chief was auctioning a sponsorship package at Punchestown on February 3rd next year.

In addition to the branding and promotion associated with any race sponsorship, the package also included corporate hospitality for 24 people at the races.

Opening the bidding at €2,000, Beeby quickly saw the price raised to €12,000, at which point it looked odds-on that Jim Ryan would be the successful bidder. Then in stepped Gallagher to trump the Milltown Stud owner and secure the deal, much to the delight of the charity.

Part of a fundraising drive by Linda Young, Joyce Hume, Charles O’Reilly, Jackie Mullins, Roisin Henry and John Weld, the sale of this package will provide much needed funds for a worthy cause. The committee is also organising a lunch on Sunday, November 18th at Punchestown.

Where are they now?

2007

SOME of the racing industry’s major players began their working lives as spotters at Goffs, and there were some interesting names among those assisting the auctioneers this week.

They included Laragh de Burgh (daughter of Hubie), leading amateur rider Katie Walsh, Michael Barry, Nicholas de Chambure from Haras d’Etreham, Jonathan Corcoran (son of auctioneer Noel), Michael Ryan, Tim Kent from Doncaster, Jenny Gilson, Fiona O’Hehir (daughter of Tony), Christina Lundy, Tim Powell (son of The Irish Field’s Leo), Suzanne Eivers and Sharon Rothwell.