PAT HEALY: This week, Pat Healy looks back on his first year as chairman of his local festival at Listowel, and states the case for Love over Enable at this weekend’s Arc de Triomphe.

Listowel reflections

I was delighted with how the Listowel Harvest Festival went in my first year as chairman. Given there were no crowds and very few people on the racecourse, my only real worry was the ground but everything on that front worked out really well too. We had a lot of rain on Tuesday and Wednesday and you’re always a bit concerned whether the course will handle but it did and a lot of credit needs to go to the grounds team and our clerk of the course, Val O’Connell, for keeping everything in such good order. 

I hope everyone enjoyed watching it on TV and the feedback from everyone I’ve spoken to has been really positive which is nice to hear. That’s always the sign of a great meeting and hopefully in 12 month’s time we’ll get a similarly successful festival but this time with spectators live at the track.

We were treated to some really good racing which always makes things better. Our feature face, the Kerry National, was an absolute thriller between Cabaret Queen and Moyhenna, with Willie Mullins’ charge just prevailing by a nose. It’s always a real thrill when the big race of the week is so exciting and you’d imagine both horses will be big players in some of the staying chases this side of Christmas.

Arc should be a cracker

I like many am really looking forward to the Arc this weekend and although the soft ground is a bit of a concern, I’m still in Love’s camp. I just think she displays all the attributes to be the next Enable and although John Gosden’s mare will be a seriously tough nut to crack, I just favour Love because of the three-year-old allowance. 

Enable has been an absolutely brilliant mare and we’re very lucky to have witnessed her strutting her stuff, but she’s six now and although there won’t be anyone happier than me if she does win a third Arc, I just think Love might be a bit too good. Any time a horse creates history it’s a very special moment and it’s just so unfortunate that only a thousand people will be at Longchamp to watch it because it has all the makings of a clash for the ages. 

Fans at National Hunt racing

It’s definitely going to be interesting when the National Hunt season really gets going in terms of social distancing and all the current guidelines. Obviously the weather isn’t as good in the winter months and if the protocols remain as they are, will owners not be asked to come racing? I ask that because if it’s raining outside, it’s going to be very difficult to keep people socially distanced inside, especially if there are upwards of 50 people in attendance. 

At Listowel, for example, we wouldn’t have the facilities to keep 40 or 50 people socially distanced on top of the protocols we already have in place and you can’t pick or choose which owners you invite, so it will be interesting to see if anything changes as the jumps season really gets into the swing of things.