Johnny Harrington

Ditto, visited their stables one time during the Moscow Flyer days, bottle of whisky on the table at breakfast time :)
 
As I long suspected, and the photo shows, Jessie was an absolute knock-out looker 40 years ago, too.

No mean feat either to win two Gold Cups back-to-back with two different horses. :ninja: :ninja: :ninja: :ninja:
 
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My first memory of Jessie is at a Cheltenham preview in Fermoy 1998 or 99; Space Trucker was her Champion Hurdle hope.
When asked of his chances she said " I don' t know; this is my first Champion Hurdle runner and I have no idea how good they need to be "
The honesty of her answer has stayed with me through the years; one fine fine lady.
 
Did anyone ever see that programme that was on the BBC about the her stable on the run up to the festival? It was on early evenings and I missed it at the time. Wondered if it was on utube?
 
I knew her daughter years ago but she had no interest in racing and never told me who her mother was.

jessie is a great great woman and of course trained my hero
 
I was waiting in the departure lounge at BHAM on Friday night at the end of the festival this year, the day of Sizing John's win. There was a couple of hours delay due to high winds in Ireland and as a result the departure area was full of returning Irish racegoers, tired, contemplative, generally silent. Then Jessie and some of her family arrived and made towards the bar for a cup of tea. Spontaneously almost everybody stood and applauded. She waved uncomfortably for a few seconds and sat down, visibly moved. I wonderful couple of minutes that succinctly captured the both warmth Irish NH racing and a great and popular woman.
 
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