One of the most heartwarming stories of the racing calendar in 2021 was the success of Ian Power onboard Master McSHee at Limerick on Stephens Day.
Waterford native Power, riding for Waterford trainer Paddy Corkery clinched the Grade 1 Faugheen Novices Chase in the Treaty county having gone off at odds of 10-1.
Corkery, a farmer and mechanic who only trains two horses sent out his seven-year-old to beat the red hot favorite Farouk D'alene by a hair with the 40-year-old Power pulling the strings.
The pair go again this weekend at the Dublin Racing Festival when Master McShee lines up for the Grade 1 Novice Chase on Sunday.
Speaking to Dave Keena this week, Power was reflecting on the win at Limerick, "The plan was kind of ride him handy in behind the leaders. When I went down to the start, he started to get a bit keen with me. Last year when we ran him in Leopardstown, in a Grade 1 he raced keen as well. He never raced keen in any of his races before, and the first thing I thought then was 'Jesus I hope he doesn't do that again with me today'. Ideally, the plan was to be a bit closer to the pace but I decided, look, I'll jump him off and leave him sit wherever he's happy. He settled away into a nice rhythm over the first couple of fences and he switched off lovely. He was jumping over the ground, and he was traveling away from me. I could see in front of me then that the horses in front of me weren't jumping out of the ground as well as I was"
It's unconfirmed as of yet, but the most reliable reporting indicates that Power is the oldest rider to capture their first Grade 1 at 40 years old.
"Yeah, I suppose I just had a little bit of a roller coaster life myself - up and down. I got my license back to get a couple of rides and you know, just to tip away. Not only to be riding every day but to get as far as winning a Grade 1 - I didn't expect any of this to come my way. It's one thing doing something like that before but to do it now and actually be able to appreciate it, and appreciate the people around me and the help that I get? Jesus, yeah, I'm enjoying it more now than I ever was because, you know, I can finally appreciate where I am and what I have. I was never able to do that before."
While he may be one of the more senior citizens in the weigh room, The Dungarvan native doesn't leave it eek into his performances in the saddle. 40 is just a number after all.
"Yeah, I'm 40 but I suppose; when you're out on that racetrack you don't be thinking about your age. If you felt you're an old man out on the racecourse I don't think you should be out there."
