For the second week in a row the National Hunt action on the track delivered a much-needed shot in the arm for the sport. Sunday’s Grade 1 action at Fairyhouse once again showed why jump racing is on a different level to its Flat equivalent.

I’m from Ballyboughal in north Co Dublin and, although my own family weren’t into horses, just a mile up the road a man called Tommy Stafford had ponies and that was the starting point for me. I used to regularly go up to Stafford’s after school and it became like a second home to me. I began riding horses and point-to-pointers there and started to go out hunting with the Ward Union and the Fingal Harriers. Tommy’s son Paul is a trainer and I’ve ridden plenty of winners for him over the years.