Two strong personalities.
Michael O’Leary is a great interviewee. Matt Chapman is a great interviewer. The result when you bring them both together, tv gold.
O’Leary didn’t have the best of Dublin Racing Festivals. By his standards. Out of 15 races, Gigginstown House Stud only had one winner.
In fairness, that one winner would paper over any amount of cracks because of the manner in which that one winner did it.
Samcro came into Sunday’s Deloitte Grade One Novice Hurdle highly rated. The 6-year-old left it as Cheltenham Banker material for many.
O’Leary’s star obliterated a high quality field in Foxrock. Jack Kennedy’s mount coasted around the 2 mile trip, barely having to get out of first gear and landing the spoils with 6 lengths to spare.
He travelled to his jockey’s want, barely touched a hurdle and quickened away from his rivals with an irresistible ease.
His owner is well renowned for playing down his horses, however, and his interview on At The Races was true to style.
Matt Chapman, like most of us watching Gordon Elliot’s charge on Sunday was blown away by this special showing.
O’Leary was having none of it.
“He’s not (special)… He has done no more than what we had probably expected him to do, but he’s still not Jesus Christ. But he’s going in the right way.”
Jesus Christ Michael, give the horse some credit.
We wanted more. Chapman went for more. He went fishing to see if O’Leary would talk up Jack Kennedy, his number one jockey, and one of the best in Ireland.
O’Leary wasn’t budging.
Chapman wasn’t defeated. He went for Gordon Elliot.
O’Leary’s response, delivered with that brilliant mix of articulate arrogance and likeable humour shows why he’s one of the best interviewees in the land.
“I don’t. I think he’s somewhat overweight, not as good looking as me. He’s better at training horses than me in fairness and I’m thinking of getting him into roster a couple of pilots.
He’s a loveable rogue is Michael. A rogue who’s always able to talk himself out of sticky situations.
Matt Chapman left him reeling.
One of the biggest and best characters in horse racing, Chapman is similar to O’Leary in some ways. He’s a joker, comes across as a bit of a chancer, but one of those lads that you just know would be unreal craic.
He played on O’Leary’s Ryanair pilots, who planned a big strike over Christmas. He landed the telling blow.
What does Michael O'Leary think of Samcro now?! @MCYeeehaaa grabs a word at @LeopardstownRC: pic.twitter.com/Vm4WDunpLy
— At The Races (@AtTheRaces) February 4, 2018
The Ryanair chief couldn’t even muster a response.
https://twitter.com/tomquinny2/status/960229993526845441
Could someone at @AtTheRaces get @MCYeeehaaa and Michael O Leary to do a Cheltenham preview night? Do it for @InjuredJockeys records would be broken 😂#almostpriceless
— Laura Joy (@Laurajoy01) February 4, 2018
Samcro the new Faugheen @MCYeeehaaa what you think? Loved the interview earlier with Michael O Leary #Noholdsbarred
— Dabsy (@Dabzee) February 4, 2018
