Paisley Park gave me my greatest Cheltenham moment

The Irish former jockey discusses his post-racing career, his favourite Cheltenham memories and his fancies for this year’s Festival.

Aidan Coleman says his 2019 Stayers’ Hurdle triumph on Paisley Park was his favourite Cheltenham moment from his career.

In our exclusive interview, the Irish former jockey also discusses his emotions ahead of the first Festival since his retirement, whether the Festival has become too dominant in the racing calendar and whether Galopin Des Champs – the favourite for the Gold Cup in the Cheltenham betting – belongs among the greats of the sport.

Cheltenham is on the horizon. What are your emotions?

This is really my first festival not being a jockey because last year I was an injured one. I hadn’t retired yet and I hadn’t been given the final blow from the surgeon.

The outlook is very different now. If you were riding, you’d be looking at horses that you might ride, you obviously did ride, could ride, and you might ride again.

Now it’s very much a past life. It’s not easy obviously but at the same time we don’t have a lot to complain about.

There’s obviously not the same sense of anticipation. But I’m still looking forward to it. I love horse racing, I love good horses racing and that’s what the four days really is all about, isn’t it? I’ll be there though.

What’s your favourite Cheltenham moment from your career?

Paisley Park winning the Stayers’ Hurdle in 2019 for Emma Lavelle. I’ve had a lot of big winners over the years for Emma, and a lot of them on Paisley as well.

They’ve given me some great days. I don’t think you get better than that. The story with Andrew Gemmell his owner too, it was his first ever Cheltenham Festival winner.

All the stars aligned, and he won on the day. It was a big field and everything was just great.

He was a special horse. I won a Grade 1 on him in 2018 and he retired only last year. I obviously couldn’t ride him last year, Tom Bellamy did. I was lucky enough to ride him in all his four Grade 1 victories.

What was special about him?

His brain. He could nearly do this interview himself. He was an extraordinarily clever horse, ridiculously intelligent and he was such a great character.

Are Ireland set to dominate again this year at the Festival?

The Irish dominance will last for a few more years, but I really do think there are signs of England coming back.

They aren’t going to start challenging properly overnight, definitely not, because sport doesn’t work like that. It comes in cycles for the time. 

But I really do think there are signs of England starting their fight back. Dan Skelton has good chances and obviously Nicky Henderson has chances. Nigel Twiston-Davies has a couple of good chances as well. With the rub of the green, it suddenly doesn’t look as dominant in Irish favour as you think.

Ireland are going to have more winners at the Festival this year and probably next year too, but I do think there’s a slight shift underway.

Is Willie Mullins all set to lead the Irish charge again?

He’s just got multiple entries everywhere and just a class above.

He’s a force that’s going to be here for a few years yet, isn’t he? To be champion trainer in Ireland and England last year was a phenomenal achievement.

He’s got a plethora of good horses in every race, never mind every other race!

Is it frustrating for the smaller trainers that they don’t get much of a look in?

Of course. But I don’t know what the right or wrong answer is for that. 

However, I’d be very adamant that you can’t penalise someone for being successful. He’s got those horses because he’s earned them – you can’t stop someone who’s successful.

Have you got any fancies or inside track for the Festival this year?

I’ve got a few things I like, a couple of obvious ones and then a couple of maybe not so obvious. 

If Lossiemouth or Brighterdaysahead run in the Mares Hurdle, one of them will win it.

But if they don’t run, then it opens up the race. I actually think either of them are good enough to win the Champion Hurdle. I would think Brighterdaysahead is going to win whatever she’s going to run in, that’s my opinion. 

I think Potter’s Charm is by far too big a price for the Turner’s. Just because he got beat the last time, there were genuine excuses. He should be half the price really and is good value. 

Ballyburn should win, too. I know he’s short but he should probably be shorter. 

The interesting race this year, one of the races of the meeting could be the Ryanair, especially if Fact To File turns up, El Fabiolo and last year’s winner Protektorat.

I also really fancy East India Dock in the Triumph Hurdle. He’s been brilliant, he’s won around Cheltenham and he’s done it the right way and he looks really assured.  

How good is Galopin Des Champs? If he wins a third Gold Cup will he be elevated into the pantheon of the all-time greats?

I think he should probably be in there anyway, regardless of what happens this year. I think he’s so good, he’s actually better this year than he’s ever been.

Fastorslow won the John Durkan, beating Spillane’s Tower and Galopin Des Champs that day and he did himself massive credit in that race. 

He’s seemed to have proven that since with his two performances that have been off the scale, even better than he’s ever been and he’s ten-years-old now.

Trainer Noel Meade has said that Cheltenham is almost too dominant in the season, that other great festivals and meetings tend to get overlooked. What’s your view?

I would echo it. I know Cheltenham is great, but for owners, trainers and jockeys and for a season that goes 365 days a year, I don’t think it should all focus on four days. I don’t think it’s fair that you could have a terrible season, not train a winner and then have a winner at Cheltenham and all of a sudden, you’ve had a great season.

I’m not sure how healthy it is, the dominance of Cheltenham. There’s a lot of other great festivals in the year aren’t there?

Some people see the Dublin Racing Festival just as a stepping stone to Cheltenham. Aintree is a great festival too. But Cheltenham is Cheltenham and even as a jockey, you’d cut your right arm off to have a winner at Cheltenham.

How are you adjusting to life after racing?

It is not easy. I’m back in the UK now and I’m much happier here now. I’m back in the Cotswolds again. I’m going to start working for Fergal O’Brien, helping him with various bits, riding out and with an advisory role.  

What prompted that?

I just wasn’t really settled in Ireland. I spent half my life in the UK around this area where I am now for the last decade. It was the happiest part of my life, mainly because I was riding good horses. I tried Ireland, but I didn’t really settle there.

Fergal has a good team, and he’s got some good horses.

Does it take time to come to terms with retirement?

Do you ever come to terms with it? I will always miss being a jockey.

Even when I’m 60 years old I will miss being a jockey. What we do is not really normal and to do it to the level I would look to, you literally are living the dream. Then you’re not. I should still be riding but at the same time, I’m definitely not a victim.