When Barry Geraghty celebrated the first of his 43 Festival winners in 2002, his triumph on Moscow Flyer in the Arkle Chase was part of a great week for the Irish.
They had FIVE winners.
Yep, five, their best tally in half a decade.
Last March, they headed back to Ireland with TWENTY-THREE winners, the race for the Prestbury Cup - the competition between Great Britain and Ireland for the most victories - having been a procession long before Friday’s final race.
And for home fans and punters, Geraghty has another warning … it could be just as emphatic this time around.
“The dominance is now quite startling,” says Geraghty, who retired from riding in 2020.
“My first Festival was in the late nineties and growing up as a kid, two or three Irish winners was the norm. I remember when we got five, it was seen as a massive result.
“It is completely different now and that Irish dominance will continue this year. The English will, I reckon, do better but the strength in depth of the Irish is remarkable.
“I think it will be 20 again for the Irish - or close to it.”
Considering there are 28 races at the Festival, that would be another hammering for the British - and Geraghty believes better prize money in Irish racing is one of the factors behind the imbalance.
He explains: “The English trainers have proven the can produce good horses. There is Nicky Henderson, Paul Nicholls, Philip Hobbs and then there are good young trainers in England - Dan Skelton, Harry Fry, Ben Pauling.
“There is no shortage of training talent but it’s the quality of the horse they are dealing with.
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“There are English owners who send horses to Ireland. There is better prize money in Ireland - that is not the only reason but it is one of them.”
Last year’s Irish takeover was spearheaded by Rachael Blackmore, whose six winners made her the first female rider to win the Festival’s leading jockey award.
Geraghty expects Blackmore to shine again but reckons she will be feeling the pressure going into the opening day and a bid to win back-to-back Champion Hurdles aboard Honeysuckle.
He says: “It all lined up for Rachael last year but when you walk away from a Festival having had a lot of winners, you know you start from scratch the next year.
“That is the way it is with Rachael and I’m not sure Henry De Bromhead’s team is quite as strong this year.
“But Honeysuckle on the first day is a big one, make no mistake. If she can get that one on the board, it takes a little bit of pressure off.
“You can relax and ride your races with a little more confidence.
“She is starting from zero again and that is why Honeysuckle is so important.”
While Geraghty admits he has “an equine crush” on what would appear to be Honeysuckle’s main rival, the Willie Mullins-trained Appreciate It, Blackmore looks sure to strike on the red-hot favourite.
But Geraghty believes the beleaguered home brigade can get off to a flier with a horse that is close to his heart.
Constitution Hill, for Henderson and Nico De Boinville, heads the market for the Sky Bet Supreme Novices Hurdle, which opens the meeting.
Geraghty, with a business partner, initially bought the horse and looked after it at his Ireland base for three years.
He even posted a social media video of his three-year-old daughter Orla putting Constitution Hill through his paces.
“Having had him for three years, broke him, got him going and had him as a foal all the way through, he was nearly like a pet here with the kids,” says Geraghty.
“We hoped he could be a bit special and everything he has done on the racecourse has been really exciting.
“It is a very strong race but I would not swap him for anything if I was riding in the race.
“I hope it will be first blood to England.”
Unfortunately, if Geraghty’s warnings prove right, it could be their last blood.
