Barry Geraghty rode 43 Cheltenham Festival winners - so he knows better than most what goes on in the weighing room!
Ahead of the 2022 Cheltenham Festival, Geraghty reveals the secrets of the jockeys' inner sanctum, detailing what it was like to sit next to Ruby Walsh, Paul Carberry and AP McCoy during the most important four days of the year.
Geraghty describes how the tension builds ahead of the first race of the meeting, the Supreme Novices' Hurdle, and the desperation among to the top riders to get their names on the winners' board as soon as possible.
He details the highs of big race wins and edging out rivals like Walsh in tight finishes, as well as the killer blow of getting caught close to the line and the boot being on the other foot.
As well as the cheers and tears associated with big races, there are also plenty of laughs, like when Richard Dunwoody extoled the benefits of a certain sexual performance drug to a 17-year-old Geraghty - and there's even a marriage proposal thrown in for good measure!
*Credit for all of the photos in this article belongs to AP Photo*
FIRST PUBLISHED: 13th March 2022
