Ballinrobe ground now good

The Tattersalls Irish Guineas weekend at the Curragh gets under way this evening and champion jockey Colin Keane will ride White Birch for Co. Cork trainer John Murphy in Sunday's Tattersall’s Gold Cup.

I'm from Allenstown between Navan and Kells in Co Meath. I grew up there with my three older brothers and we were all involved in horses and ponies growing up. My dad bred and produced a lot of half-breds, so we broke ponies, hunted and did the usual pony club. They would have been produced and resold, and we worked hard at it. My dad still does a bit now as well. My brothers helped out in the yard and my older brother, Greg Harford, was into racing first. He was an amateur rider and he started off with Michael Cunningham and in his later years went to Noel Meade. He was a pretty successful amateur there. I used to go pointing and racing with Greg and that was how I got into racing.

Marco Botti could look towards Newmarket’s July meeting before pointing Giavellotto at the Irish St Leger, following his exploits in winning back-to-back Yorkshire Cups on the Knavesmire.