AUTHOR’S NOTEIrish horses first became fashionable when Elisabeth, Empress of Austria hunted in Ireland in 1880.
She was thrilled with the high-rising, high-jumping country and the horses that rivalled her own Hungarian Stud.
In 1907 an Irish horse named Orby won the English Derby, the Irish Derby and the Baldoyle Derby.
He was half-brother to Rhodora who, in 1908 won the One Thousand Guineas race.
Later the Queen Mother’s beautiful horse Double Star starting in 1956 ran fifty races in eight years, winning seventeen of them.
Double Star was a great favourite with the public. He was a very kind and placid horse and loved Lingfield where he was unbeatable, but disliked Cheltenham.
A good trainer learns what type of track, ground, time of year and jockey an outstanding horse prefers.
The Irish, whether they be man, woman or horse, are always sensitive, emotional and perceptive in their likes and dislikes.