Jessica Harrington

The 70-year-old Cheltenham Gold Cup-winning trainer talks to Helen Sharp about Sizing John’s quirks and how her eventing background gives her the edge.

“IT’s fantastic,” Jessica Harrington quietly admits, after taking this year’s Cheltenham Gold Cup with Sizing John. “I’m kind of walking on air — I suppose it’s just sinking in now that we’ve actually won. It’s the sort of thing you dream about and you don’t actually think will ever happen.”

Jessica was already one of the most exceptional female trainers in the history of the Cheltenham Festival, winning the Champion Chase with Moscow Flyer (2003, 2005) and the Champion Hurdle with Jezki (2014) when, in her first ever entry, she was triumphant in the biggest contest of them all.

Greeted by two excited dogs, I am invited into the living room of Jessica’s on-site house in Co. Kildare, Ireland. “They’ve told me I have to sit down for two days, as I have bronchitis,” she says, reluctantly accepting the advice. I join her on the sofa to talk thoroughbreds.

The Gold Cup shines down from the mantelpiece, surrounded by images of a lifetime in racing. On the TV, the horses continuously race by, and the racing papers are all close to hand — this is clearly a trainer dedicated to her sport.

Following his epic win, Sizing John was back in his own stable by 7.30am the next morning. Jessica says he’s in excellent health.

“He’s doing great,” she says. “He’s back cantering now and the idea is to get him ready to go to the Punchestown Gold Cup. He’s only had four runs this year, so we’ll be heading there hopefully for his last run of the year.”

JESSICA, 70, started out as an international event rider, competing for Ireland in two Olympic Games before switching to National Hunt and Flat training in 1989.