'I have always liked Hello Neighbour' - Charlie Swan on this weekend's DRF
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Legendary former jockey Charlie Swan, famed for his partnership with one of the best hurdlers of all-time in Istabraq, has revealed what he thinks makes the Dublin Racing Festival so special ahead of the Irish showpiece meeting this weekend. Swan was speaking to BoyleSports, who offer the latest DRF and Cheltenham odds.
All the best horses clash at DRF - that’s what makes it so special
It fits in very well with the timing of Cheltenham. People don’t like running their horses a month before. They like to run them for five or six weeks, and no closer to Cheltenham than that.
Everybody wants to get a run into their horses and all the best ones clash at Leopardstown.
It is a big Festival, but it is seen as a stepping stone to Cheltenham. Everyone is dying to see what horses are going to perform and which way they are going to go.
It helps establish a pecking order for the trainers for future targets
It does. You know what sort of trip they are going to go. Or do they miss Cheltenham altogether if you’re beaten well and look at Liverpool and Aintree. People will have that in their heads as well.
DRF is a really good Cheltenham trial - Galopins Des Champs will be very hard to beat
Ballyburn got beaten by Sir Gino over two miles, but Kempton is a sharp track. He has always looked as if he would stay very well. He is going the staying chase route.
Gaelic Warrior often gets beat at Leopardstown. I don’t know why, but he is a very good horse.
© Photo Healy Racing
Galopin des Champs loves Leopardstown. He is a great jumper and he’ll be very hard to beat at Leopardstown. He might not be quite as good around Cheltenham.
Leopardstown is a really big galloping track. It takes a bit of getting. The last couple of furlongs are slightly uphill. It is a good Cheltenham trial.
There are a few runners this weekend I will be keeping a close eye on
There are some good horses taking each other on. It’ll be interesting to see Willie’s horse Sainte Lucie and Hello Neighbour from Gavin Cromwell’s yard take each other on in the Juvenile Hurdle. And Lady Vega Allen.
A lot of people would have backed some of these horses ante post and they’re taking each other on early.
I have always liked Hello Neighbour. He has only had one run over hurdles, but I think he’ll improve an awful lot for it. He only had two runs on the Flat and he won them both so he could be a horse to take on Willie.
Majborough got beaten in the race last year and he went on to win the Triumph Hurdle. So, you don’t necessarily have to win the race. But it will be nice to see who runs well and is staying on at the finish as the Triumph does take a bit of getting.
It’s good that English raiders are coming across to DRF
There are a good few entries so hopefully they can come. Warren Greatrex has a couple and there’ll be a few others. It is great to see.
There are some very good Grade 1’s on the first day. The two mile 6 furlong Novice Hurdle. Gordon Elliott has five or six in the race! So does Willie, including Supersundae and Sounds Victorious as well as Final Demand. So, if any of them turn up, it’ll be a fascinating race.
My son Harry has ridden all five of Gordon Elliott’s runner in the bumper on day one - he likes them all
He likes them all! On their home work, he rode Classical Creek last time out at Navan. And it was the wrong choice because Kalypso’chance won!
© Photo Healy Racing
I’d say that Kalypso’chance would be his choice. To me he looks like a horse that will keep improving.
Problems with prize money is an issue in British racing - but it isn’t brilliant in Ireland either
If you go back through the history books and Vincent O’Brien’s era, he used to win both divisions of the Supreme Novices’ He was dominating then. But it does change.
There was a time when the English were buying all our best horses. And now it has turned full circle, and we are buying the best.
The prize money is a problem in England and that is the main reason why they’re losing owners. It’s good in Ireland but it’s not brilliant.
Willie, Gordon, Henry and Gavin are dominating, but you have that in any era. It goes in cycles. They are very good trainers.
Cheltenham still is the pinnacle of the sport
Yes. Everybody involved in racing wants a Cheltenham runner and ideally a winner! It is the main reason why big owners get involved. I had 17 winners which compared with Ruby [Walsh] and Barry [Geraghty] who came after me might not seem that many. But in my day, it was three days, now it’s four days!
It is strange like that in terms of the build-up. But I love the buildup, when everyone is talking about who might win at Cheltenham. It’s a bit of fun. It brings great excitement.
It is not the be all and end all, but it definitely is top of the agenda for trainers, owners and jockeys! But when Cheltenham finishes everybody wants to have a winner at Liverpool!
I come over every year for it. I buy horses for JP McManus, most of the French horses for him. I’d be around his guys.
A lot of French horses are bought by Irish owners - it has taken us a while to catch on to their success in France
To me it is their system. They break them earlier than we do in England and Ireland.
They start when they are younger, and progress with their muscles and development. It has taken us a long time to cop onto that. We are starting to break them a little bit earlier now. Hopefully we’ll have a few more three year old National Hunt races.
The French horses are broken earlier, but they do everything quite slowly. They break them, they let them off, they do a bit of schooling. They have done lots of conditioning and their muscles are right and they probably last longer in the long term because they haven’t been rushed or pushed too quickly.
JP McManus - the sport is fortunate to have him
He’s a great man. And a lovely man too. I have known him for a long time. He was a great man to ride for, very understanding. He is so good for the game and has horses with so many different trainers in Ireland and England. He is a businessman and obviously likes winners. But above all he really loves the game.
It’s great too that all his family are involved. They share his passion.
At one stage I was counting it up and he had horses with something like 60 trainers in Ireland and 40 in England. There may not be as many now. He has helped so many different trainers. He certainly helped me when I was training.
Irish super yards have taken their time and worked their way up to dominance
They have proved themselves and they have all come up the hard way. They deserve everything they get. Joseph O’Brien is bang up there as well. He’s an amazing trainer. He doesn’t have as many jumpers now but he’s brilliant.
There are a lot more horses in Ireland than England and not as much racing. In England they have too much racing and it is not competitive enough. There’s a lot of races where there are only three or four runners. If you had fewer races, you’d have more prize money to go round.
Sometimes I regret retiring at 35
Sometimes I do. Maybe I could have got another year out of it. But overall, I am happy with my decision. I could have had to get out because of injury. I had young kids as well. When you start thinking about retiring that’s when it is time to go.
Nowadays everything is getting better. The protectors, the helmets, safety is a big thing. Jockeys are way fitter than they used to be when I was riding. They are way more professional. That is why they are lasting longer which is a good thing.
Istabraq was such an easy horse to ride - he was the best
From day one when we started jumping him, he had a great technique. He loved it. He would attack his hurdles. He was very quick, landed very quick. His jumping was the big part of him.
He did stay well, but he seemed to get quicker because his jumping was so quick. He would almost land with his hind legs down first. He would never peck. He always landed running which gained lengths.
Istabraq
© Photo Healy Racing
He was an easy horse to ride. It was a great thrill. It always is when you ride these great horses. The crowd are always behind you. The main thing is you hope you don’t mess up on them and make a bad mistake!!
When he won his third champion hurdle and went by the line, all I could think was, ‘Thank God that is over.’ You don't get much of a thrill until afterwards and you watch it again and know you have won! He was the best.
I am so proud of my son Harry Swan making waves as a jockey - he’s probably a better rider than me
He is! He is doing really well. He is still in college. He goes into Gordon’s two or three times a week. He works hard. He seems to be a good judge of pace and knows the time of day!
It is hard because people will compare him and me. Actually, he is probably a better rider than me!
I am really enjoying watching him ride. It would be nice if he could get a Cheltenham winner sometime soon!
I still don’t know whether he will turn professional or not. He has been studying hard and has a very good job at Gordon’s riding all those Bumper horses.
It will be a hard decision to make for him. He could have a great time in a decent job outside racing and still ride lots of winners as an amateur and really enjoy his riding.
Obviously, the choice is his, but I’d be half hoping he’ll say he will stay an amateur.
He is studying biomedical science, so he has options, maybe medicine. He is also thinking about doing a Masters. He is 22.
It is a tough life as a professional. At Gordon’s there’s Jack Kennedy, Sam Ewing, Danny Gilligan and Jordan Gainford, all very good jockeys, ahead of him.
Being a professional you are going to get injuries, you are going to get hurt. Being an amateur you can pick and choose a little bit. He rides point to points, but he doesn’t ride every day. He picks and chooses which ones he wants to ride.
It is probably better that way than going professional. I retired at 35. Nowadays, 35 is quite young.
You do have to think about the future. You have 25 years after riding to be working. You’re not on this earth for long so it is about enjoying yourself as well as working hard. I think being an amateur with the career he’ll follow would be an ideal combination.
Being a National Hunt jockey, there’s probably only three or four jockeys in any ear that are going to make decent enough money. The rest of them will just about make a living. And then they have to deal with the falls and all the knocks.