Over the years Conor O'Dwyer has seen enough supposed "good things" hit the fan, or indeed the ground, to ever let himself get too carried away. But even so, the veteran jockey might be forgiven for letting his mind wander during tomorrow's Christmas dinner.
A book of big-race rides that includes Like-A-Butterfly in the St Stephen's Day feature, Keepatem in Monday's big handicap and the champion hurdler Hardy Eustace on Wednesday, is one many of his young and hungry colleagues can only envy.
It's no wonder then that inquisitive hacks who look at O'Dwyer's 38 years and see only the retirement question have long since learned to quietly file it away. Things have rarely been better. Only a fool would walk away now. Not that 38 doesn't bring other baggage.
"I do have to look at the weight issue a bit more than I used to. I've always done 10st in my career but over the last three or four years it's got a bit harder to get off," he said yesterday.
But there's no point getting older unless a little more wisdom comes with it and it's been quite a while since O'Dwyer took a stupid breath.
Tomorrow he will ride out a couple of lots for Arthur Moore before tucking into Christmas dinner with a heartiness that tells of a few previous days of comparative famine. An evening sweat just to keep on top of things and then he can get to work on some of those Leopardstown goodies.
"It normally all goes pear-shaped when you say things like this but it is a long time since I've had a Christmas book like this. I really couldn't ask for better," he said.
The Durkan New Homes Novice Chase is the first day feature at Leopardstown and there will be some sore Christmas heads if O'Dwyer doesn't carry the JP McManus colours past the post first on Like-A-Butterfly. As a former Irish Champion Hurdle winner, class was never going to be an issue with her new chasing career. Her sole start to date over fences at Naas only reinforced that Cheltenham potential.
"She literally cantered it," he recalled. "Christy (Roche) has been beaming about her since as well. I rode her over a couple of fences recently and she gave me a great feel. Of the others, I saw Newmill at the start at Naas and he looked very robust so he is sure to have improved. But Mariah Rollins might be the one to give us most to do. Having said all that, my horse has so much class."
For those who get their punting kicks from teasing out handicap riddles, then Keepatem presents a rather fundamental poser in the Paddy Power Chase. Is the novice experienced enough to take advantage of a good mark?
"I won't say it's the only doubt about him, but it is the main one," said his jockey yesterday. "He will have no problem with the ground, he stays well and with a clear run he must have a big chance. I know experience is an issue but he is still definitely the one I would want to be on."
Such bullishness was far from O'Dwyer's mind on the eve of Hardy Eustace's championship triumph last March, one of the seminal moments of the rider's career when he added to Imperial Call's 1996 Gold Cup.
"I didn't think he had it in him," he grinned. "I was thinking that a place would be a huge run. I know Dessie (Hughes) wasn't surprised but I was."
A comeback run behind Solerina at Navan earlier in the month looks to have set Hardy Eustace up perfectly for another Grade One triumph on Wednesday where he will again meet the James Bowe-trained mare.
"This time it will be two miles on the inside track at Leopardstown which does make a huge difference. Because of that, my only worry is that a horse like Macs Joy could come and beat us both," said O'Dwyer.
It's the sort of worry he can happily live with however. Having to sweat a couple of pounds off on Christmas night is not exactly great but O'Dwyer is the first to point to the pay-off.
"Sometimes, going into the sauna, you think 'Jesus, this is hard.' But then a winner changes everything. It's like any sport or job. Everyone at some stage thinks there must be an easier way to make a living. But I know there isn't!"
