There then followed a period of 15 months, and ten races on the flat, without Mister McG troubling the judge.

This prompted James Given to recommend I should take him to Doncaster Sales, stating, if he is going to be any good, it won`t be on the flat.

After careful thought, and with National Hunt trainers Sue and Harvey Smith only 8 miles from my home, I took a deep breath, and picked up the phone.

Sue answered, and agreed to “take him on” and train him to find out whether he would be any use over hurdles.

However, after arrival, and when she was unloading him from the horsebox, she said to her husband, “what have we let ourselves in for here Harvey”. ?

EIGHT weeks later,,on the 2nd March 2002 at Doncaster in his first run over hurdles, Mister McGoldrick gave her the answer, and his rise to fame had begun.

Watch the Doncaster race for yourselves on video 2, and further success again 3 weeks later at Bangor on video 3

Quality of videos not brilliant, but they are all over 20 years old.