Home away from home

By Alan Conway

Sitting on a beach in Florida one can be guilty of forgetting about the classic weekend that is taking place at the Curragh this weekend. No matter where I am though horse racing is never far from my mind. Although the Irish Derby may not be a vintage renewal this year with the defection of Investec Derby winner Workforce, it is still a classic and the winner should be treated with the highest respect.

For many the Irish Derby is still the highlight of the Irish Flat season both from a racing standpoint and as a social occasion. My own memories of the Irish Derby are of watching the race with my parents on RTE. It was one of the few times my mother would sit down with her racing obsessed son and try to unravel his love of the sport.

The first time I went to Derby day at the Curragh was when I was eight. The year was 1995. The year of Celtic Swing. Of course an eight year old going racing for the second or third time would not understand the importance of Celtic Swing running at the Curragh. I was assured by my father that it was a very big deal.

One of the first things that hit me when we arrived at the Curragh was the noise and colour. Everywhere we turned there was a great wall of music and huge Budweiser signs. Everywhere we turned there was a Budweiser sign. It is no small wonder that it became my first drink. The day itself was one of those beautiful summer days that you never want to end. Not a cloud in the sky. The whole experience before we entered the track got me hooked. It is a detail that racecourses should pay heed to. First impressions count for a lot.

That 1995 Derby was all about Celtic Swing. A brilliant 12 length winner of the Racing Post Trophy as a two-year-old Celtic Swing was supposed to be the next big thing in Flat racing. In the end his bubble burst. Despite winning the Prix De Jockey Club Celtic Swing’s three-year-old career had been a disappointment to many of his followers.

In the paddock before the race I was bowled over by him. A big imposing horse it was hard not to be impressed by him. My father however had eyes for another horse. The name DK Weld didn’t register with me but to my father it was a name associated with excellence and in Definite Article my father had found his Derby pick.

We found a perfect place to watch the race, just outside the furlong pole. Before the race there was an electricity in the crowd. Everyone was on tenterhooks and then the call “Jockeys” and with that the stalls flew open and the field was on its way.

As the field swept for home all eyes were locked on Celtic Swing. For one moment it looked liked he could pick up the field whenever he wanted. Then boom. The light went out and he was cooked. We turned to my father’s pick and not for the first time he was right and I was wrong. The horses flew past us and Definite Article looked home and hosed. We didn’t see how close the finish was but my father was convinced he won.

Joy turned to despair when it was announced that Winged Love had chinned Definite Article on the line. The French had denied us a victory. Despite the result the Derby lodged in my heart and mind forever.

The Irish Derby has been a bookmark in my life. From going racing with my father for the first time to trying to impress a girl by taking her to the races on our second date – the Irish Derby is special. Roll on Sunday.

By Alan Conway