28th November 2015

Hi ,

Those of who live inside the racing bubble sometimes need reminding that there is another world out there.

Believe it or not there are people who barely know the difference between flat and jumps racing.

They have a vague notion that Cheltenham and Royal Ascot might be somewhat important but on balance it's not really anything to get too fussed about.

Of course many appreciate that a day at the races can be fun, particularly if you don't have to drive and can get nicely buckled.

Dressing up for the day can be special too, and all in all it's a nice day out where people, even complete strangers, tend to be quite friendly.

But as a sport to be taken seriously - no, thank you.

Sadly newspaper coverage of our sport often reflects that kind of attitude.

Certainly it is nothing like what it should be, or indeed used to be.

The fact that only football attracts bigger attendances than racing in the U.K. is totally lost on so many media chiefs.

And for all the welcome attention from Channel 4 and the two specialist racing channels, there is little doubt that the BBC is a huge loss.

Occasionally "celebrities" - real or imagined - get involved with racing and the subsequent publicity which this can sometimes stir up is welcome.

Now, as you can imagine, it takes something very special to get them excited in Willie Mullins yard these days, yet a mare called Augusta Kate is making serious waves.

Not on the home gallops at Closutton we hastily add where, if truth be told, she looks nothing special at all.

But she seems to sprout wings once she gets to the track.

This is good news for the sport, as her list of owners include Lee Westwood, Alan Shearer, Ant and Dec, Chubby Chandler and the much more familiar racing names of Graham and Andrea Wylie.

And, lest it should appear that they are all hopping on board a successful bandwagon, they have all been involved since long before she set hoof on a racetrack.

That debut race was at Listowel and she was sent off a 6/5 jolly at the north Kerry track.

In truth that price had more to do with the astonishing Mullins' record in bumpers than any great expectations from the Closutton team.

She won by a street leaving Willie both delighted - and surprised!

"She showed gears there she never shows at home!"

Patrick was in the plate and said: "She's a funny type at home."

"She doesn't maybe do a whole lot but Ruby (Walsh) gave her a bit of work last week and he said there's plenty under the bonnet."

"She just keeps it until she really needs it" Patrick added.

Last week at Navan she was a mile up in class but again she won doing handstands.

Mind you, she's bred for the job, being by Yeats out of a superb Accordion filly Feathard Lady.

Feathard - not to be confused with Feathard-On-Sea in Wexford - is a village near Cashel in Tipperary.

Edward O'Grady and Tommy Stack train there and it is quite close to Ballydoyle.

The Colm Murphy trained Feathard Lady won all seven races she ran in.

Her last outing saw her win the Christmas Hurdle at Kempton on Boxing Day 2005 where she looked a Champion Hurdle prospect but she got injured and never raced again.

Willie Mullins is not keen to start Augusta Kate over hurdles until next season.

She is only a four year old, and the Mares Bumper at Aintree is probably a more realistic Spring target than the Champion Bumper at Cheltenham.

One way or another she's a hot prospect.

And what a mighty boost it will be for racing if she does go on to greatness given that success for her connections will attract headlines way beyond the racing pages.

Above all let's hope that, unlike her mum the great Feathard Lady, she gets a chance to fulfill all her potential.

For now at least, the dream is very much alive.

Back next Saturday.

Declan O'Donoghue

Irish Racing Club - CLICK HERE For Details!