Johnny Barry

It was almost as if the stars aligned that I would ride my 150th point-to-point winner on Arctic Skipper at the Tallow Point-To-Point, which is run on Jimmy Mangan’s land next door to my home place.

It was a nice one to get and to do it on home ground. I learned to ride at Jimmy’s at weekends and during holidays. They were good to me and it was great to do it there.

Arctic Skipper has been very good to me as well, I’ve won six Opens on him. He won the Grade Two Fortria Chase three years ago so has always been a good horse. His trainer Vinny Halley has been very good to me too down through the years.

Arctic Skipper just does the bare minimum. He’d beat a good horse the same way he’d beat an average horse. He’s a fantastic jumper and he’s showing plenty of spark at the minute.

He’s going to be entered for the Foxhunter at Cheltenham. I’m not sure what the plan is but the only thing is he prefers soft ground and it’s unlikely to be that by Friday, although with the weather we’re getting now. You’d never know.

But there are plenty of other opportunities. The Tetretema in Gowran might suit him and you’ve the Joseph O’Reilly in Fairyhouse as well and he might get his ground there. But we won’t know until closer to the time.

After a while with the Mangans, I went down to Michael Hourigan, just because he had more horses and I thought there might be more opportunities. At that time he had a lot of point-to-pointers. Michael gave me my first winner on Some Craic at Dromahane in November 2007. I rode a winner for him this season as well in Loughrea on Elusive Star, so he’s another who’s been good to me down through the years.

Turning professional was never an option because I was just a bit too heavy but Karl Thornton backed me and gave me plenty winners on the track against the professionals. He put me up on Wakea in the Grade Two Coral Hurdle at Ascot, when he finished second beaten less than two lengths by Lil Rockefeller.

For a split-second going to the last I thought we were going to get there but he ran a mighty race that day. It was unbelievable to ride in Ascot in a big race and to get such a great spin as well.

John Nallen is another who deserves a big mention and he has produced some quality horses. He’s very shrewd. He’s good to pick out a good one and the results speak for themselves. Minella Indo won a point-to-point in Dromahane, he won in Cheltenham last year and I think he’s a very good chance again this year.

Notebook is a German-bred horse and he was named before he got him which is why he doesn’t have the Minella prefix. He won in Dromahane and he’s as good a jumper as I’ve ever ridden. He’s a very fast, accurate horse to jump. He’s after improving no end since he went over fences this year and I think he should have a mighty chance in the Arkle.

Minella Melody won in Boulta. She’s going for the Mares’ Novice Hurdle and she’s favourite as well.

There’s three past horses I won on for John going to Cheltenham and they’re nearly all favourites. It would be great if one of them won. He also had Minella Rocco before I was riding for him, that won in Horse & Jockey in 2014 and he’ll be one of the favourites for the Foxhunter. He has Cheltenham form too as a National Hunt Chase winner who also finished second in the Gold Cup. Winning a couple of hunter chases might have given him his confidence back and with the Cheltenham form, that could count for a lot.

When you’ve been with them as a young horse, between breaking them and getting them jumping at an early age, it’s nice to see them going on to better things.

Angel’s Breath is another very good horse I won on for Pat Doyle in Moira two years ago. He won a Grade Two hurdle on his first run under Rules eight months later for Nicky Henderson. He won a Grade Two chase last December but unfortunately is ruled out of Cheltenham. He has a huge engine.

I’m only 30 so you would like to reach the 200 winners anyway, but in racing you never know. The only aim really is to stay sound and ride some more nice horses. I think there might be a few at the minute that could go on to be good. That’s what we hope anyway.