CHELTENHAM FESTIVAL:SOME PEOPLE may think that Denman's victory in the Gold Cup was down to breeding, training and other equine secrets, but Virginia O'Flynn knows better, writes Alison Healy.
"I'll tell you, we prayed hard for him, holy water and everything," she said, and plucked a bottle of holy water out of her pocket as evidence. The Memorare prayer to the Blessed Virgin Mary also played a key role, her son Colman added.
And while some people may think that Denman's win was a British victory, due to the trainer and owner, the O'Flynns from Fermoy know better. They bred the horse in Fermoy and saw him winning his first point-to-point very impressively before interest came from Britain. It was a victory for Cork and for Ireland, Colman O'Flynn jnr said.
"It's fantastic, especially for Irish racing and Irish point-to-pointers."
Edmond Kent was also happy to claim his second Gold Cup victory at the last day of the Cheltenham festival yesterday. Dawn Run did her first jumping at his yard in Castlelyons and Denman was also sent to Ballyhampshire for pre-training.
"I'm smiling since the very first day he won his point-to-point. I fancied him really big time today," Edmond said.
Although his first impression was that he was "a big huge baby. Quite honestly when I broke him, I was watching him and he was so big and lazy I thought I could end up going hunting with this lad."
It was an emotional day for Denman's Cork fan club with Colman O'Flynn snr fearing that his knees were going to buckle. "It's a wonderful feeling, although to tell you the truth I got a bit weak," he said.
Earlier, Bertie Ahern was spared a deluge of cheeky headlines as Forpadydeplasterer came in fourth, instead of first, in the Novices' Hurdle.
The horse, owned by Charlie Chawke's Goat syndicate, has already generated plenty of smirks from people avidly following developments on the Taoiseach's finances and his "dig-outs".
Cheltenham observers were also concerned that the Goat syndicate would not be able to stick the pace if the horse had won, as the 22-member gang was in ebullient form since its arrival in a windswept Cheltenham on Wednesday morning.
Before the race, Forpadydeplasterer supporters gathered in the parade ring, decked out in their Sunderland scarves and ties, while Sunderland's chairman Niall Quinn watched proceedings from the heights of a corporate box. A British commentator questioned the origins of the name to be told that "Paddy the Plasterer" was a generous benefactor, a "Santa Claus" type.
Charlie Chawke was stoical in the face of the fourth placing. "It's great to be here and it's great that we are all here together and it's great to have a horse good enough to run here," he said.
Syndicate member Richard Coffey was struggling to find his voice after an enthusiastic few days of premature celebrations. "My sister Bernadette in Bantry sent me a text this morning to say that she lit a candle for him," he croaked mournfully.
The winning owners, the Olde Crowbars Syndicate, almost went unnoticed in the sea of Sunderland scarves. The seven-member group, which grew out of the Wanderers rugby club in Dublin, "had expectations" of a win for Fiveforthree, but were still cautious, said syndicate member Kevin Brophy.
Seán Mulryan of Ballymore Properties presented the prizes but admitted he would prefer to be on the receiving side. "I'm coming here 27 years now. You dream about having a winner. I've never had a winner," he said.
Perhaps he should borrow Mrs O'Flynn's holy water bottle.