Ahead of next week’s Cheltenham Festival Jessica Harrington has revealed she is receiving treatment for breast cancer.
The ground-breaking trainer, who is 76, told RTE she was diagnosed in October and continues to receive chemotherapy.
Harrington has a handful of horses entered for next week’s action at Cheltenham including Ashdale Bob in the Paddy Power Stayers Hurdle, the one championship prize at the festival she has yet to win.
“I would love to get it as it would complete the full house,” Harrington said on Friday. “I’m not certain he will win, but it could be placed. But, you know, if everything went right, he has the ability to win that race.”
She secured a famous Gold Cup victory in 2017 through Sizing John, landed the Champion Hurdle with Jezki in 2013 and Moscow Flyer won the Champion Chase in both 2003 and 2005.
In recent years Harrington has transformed her county Kildare yard into one of the leading flat-race operations in the country and saddled classic winners Alpha Centauri and Magical Lagoon.
“I haven’t been racing because I don’t want to be mixing with a lot of people because of getting infections. I did 12 weeks having treatment every week and I have got two more to go. I see the light at the end of the tunnel and it’s absolutely fantastic.
“Everything’s gone so far so good. We’ve a few more things to be done. I’ve got to have an operation and then probably have some radiotherapy. So, you know, we’ve still got a bit more to do, but at least I might get some hair back,” she told Katie Hannon’s Upfront Podcast.
“I think having dark days with cancer, the cancer might feed on that. That’s my attitude. So therefore, we can’t have dark days.
“But if you do have a bit of a blip, you pull yourself up and carry on because there’s an awful lot of other people much worse than you are,” she added.
One of Ashdale Bob’s opponents in Thursday’s Stayers will be the ante-post favourite Blazing Khal who has been confirmed a runner.
Blazing Khal returned from a 14-month lay-off to win the Boyne Hurdle but suffered an injury setback afterwards.
His trainer Charles Byrnes confirmed on Friday: “He worked at the Curragh earlier this week. We decided against taking him back there today as we felt it would be counterproductive.
“But I had a chat with the owner this morning and we decided we’re going to run him.”
This weekend sees the start of an unusually busy run-in to Cheltenham with a pair of double-fixtures followed by a rescheduled Thurles programme on Monday.
Freezing weather conditions means there is a 7.30am inspection at Navan on Saturday morning in advance of its Webster Cup card.
The course was covered in snow on Friday and unfit for racing while overnight temperatures are forecast to reach minus three.
Naas was also unfit for racing on Friday due to snow but with temperatures set to rise over the weekend the situation is being monitored for Sunday’s Bar One Leinster National fixture.
Ireland’s top jockeys can’t be accused of playing safe with Davy Russell among those keeping busy this weekend.
Russell has a handful of scheduled mounts between Navan and Naas while Rachael Blackmore will be at Gowran on Saturday for a trio of rides with three others pencilled in for Naas.
Paul Townend’s confidence in Saldier’s jumping is reflected in his maintaining the partnership with the former top-class hurdler in just his second start over fences.
Saldier looked a natural when making his belated chase debut at Thurles where he beat a decent type in Solness.
The former Morgiana winner steps up to Grade 3 company in Sunday’s Directors Plate at Naas against opposition that includes Journey With Me.
The veteran Captain Cj returned from a long lay-off over hurdles last month and on his best chase form could be attractively weighted for the €100,000 Leinster National.
