For a sport that prides itself on its earthiness, racing can be terribly fashion conscious. Just ask jockey Shay Barry who is hoping that the giant His Song will propel him to the head of the Cheltenham catwalk today.

Fourteen months ago, Barry was just another hungry young rider who rejected the boat to Britain in the hope of a break at home. He was confident in his own ability, but it was a lonely confidence not shared by the game's principal trainers.

Then permit holder Tommy Cahill gave him the leg up on the mare Letterlee who proceeded to annihilate her opposition in the Thyestes Chase. Only then did the obvious strike home. Barry may be a quietly spoken, unobtrusive sort of guy, but boy can he ride.

After that prestige, pots like the Galway Hurdle on Black Queen and the Kerry National on Treble Bob were filed on the 26-year-old Waterford jockey's CV. It was enough to convince Mouse Morris of his talents and he signed him up. It was also enough to convince David Lloyd, owner of His Song, that Tony McCoy's services are not of paramount importance to his horse.

Barry has ridden the favourite for today's Guinness Arkle Trophy to his last two victories. So impressive have they been that with Istabraq at so short a price, His Song is likely to be the horse that the Irish will plunge on today. But don't ask Barry about pressure. It may be 14 months ago, but the memory of that other sort of pressure is still fresh.

"I was actually working harder before that Thyestes happened. That's just the kind of game it is. I was doing nothing differently but Letterlee just set the ball rolling. Suddenly the phone started ringing. A big win can put you in the shop window rather than in the back rows.

"That can piss you off and I was often depressed and fed up about it, but I never wanted to give up. You just have to get on with riding some dodgy horses and hope someone notices you," he says.

Barry has grabbed his chance with such understated ferocity that he will be one of the most noticeable visiting Irish riders at this festival. Space Trucker in Thursday's Grand Annual is a Barry mount with a realistic chance, however His Song is the horse expected to take the rider one place better than his sole previous festival ride.

That was on Aries Girl, runnerup to Mucklemeg in the 1994 Weathebys Bumper, and Barry remembers: "I knew it was big, but the place was so imposing and the atmosphere was just incredible". A nation of fanatical punters need not worry about a star-struck jockey being on their investment however.

"Some lads can't sleep the night before, they get so keyed up about things, but while there will be butterflies, I like to think I'm reasonably cool. What happens, happens. There's no point sweating up.

"Mouse and the owners sticking by me has meant a lot. The Dennys at Christmas was great because I knew it would be hard to replace McCoy. I had just been hoping the horse would run midweek and I'd get a spin but we've seemed to click," he says. His Song looks set to confirm that today.

"To sit on he is a giant and the way he strides is unreal. He just seems to travel so easily in his races, he comes up at his fences and he can change gear. The others are obviously decent, but I'm not too worried. The Pipe horses have to be respected and Flagship Uberalles I know from when Pat Flynn trained him. I believe His Song has too many gears for him though," Barry says. It's an assessment based on hard experience and one it would be foolish to ignore it.