“LIFE TAKES YOU on a journey,” smiles Jessica Harrington. “I’m not sure you take life on a journey.”
The crows in beautiful Moone provide the symphony in the April sun around the southern tip of County Kildare. Dogs joust for our affection and defer to the boss, as soon do we.
She’s 76, nearing the end of 16 rounds of chemotherapy and it’s a struggle to stay in tow as she brings us to observe her happy string of horses. The Queen of Irish racing has around five dozen two-year-olds alone this year. And, somehow, she has never seemed in better form.
It was not until just before Cheltenham, where Moscow Flyer long ago helped to immortalise his trainer, that Harrington publicly revealed the breast cancer diagnosis that she had been facing with reluctance but characteristic tenacity since October.
Racing had too much respect for the story to get out. Jessie would decide in her own time.
“I have chemo brain – you have to be easy on me,” she tells one of the journalists. Yet she greets every horse by name; goes into pedigrees ad-lib; talks about yard expansion; and previews Nicky Henderson’s annual stayover for Punchestown with the zest of a yearling.
She used to be primarily a Jumps trainer but now has three-quarters Flat to a quarter National Hunt. She only landed her first Classic success when Alpha Centauri won the Irish 1,000 Guineas in 2018 and her big ambition now is to win the Derby.
Jessie enjoyed wallowing in the serenity of Gowran last night but Punchestown might be too much just now – too many people asking how she is – and Aintree was not on the agenda Saturday, even if Lifetime Ambition were running. He was taken out at Valentine’s in the National.
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“He’ll go to Galway for the Plate but it would be a lifetime ambition to win the National,” she smiles.
About her cancer, she is as candid as ever. “Since the last treatment, they got me the medication to make me feel right. Chemotherapy does things to the body I wouldn’t like to even tell you, but I feel good this morning.”
And she looks it too. “Three weeks before the medication, I felt like I’d rather die! Last night I went to bed and I was physically tired, rather than sick tired. That was great.
“Everyone has been so kind, unbelievably kind. Nobody really knew till February that I was on the sick list. Honestly, everyone around here has been so kind, looking after me.”
What with her diagnosis, sickness and even being over a decade into the pensioner stakes, did she ever consider taking a step back at all?
“The worst thing has been feeling sick. I did for five days take a back seat. I was in the hospital for four days straight after Christmas and six days more in February.
“I wasn’t going to let it get the better of me. Get up every morning, that’s what you need to do!
“I live in a lovely place, I look at these horses every day and I look at that view towards the mountain: what have I to complain about?”
She talks of her late husband Johnny, who is not around to get her through the tough days, but so thankful that her daughters stepped into the void.
“Kate has been amazing. She has not taken a day off since before Christmas. She is taking two weeks off in May only as she thinks I’m alright now.
“Emma and (husband) Richie, all the staff – they have all been fantastic and never complained.”
She dealt with the news of cancer in that stoic manner that long defined her. Harrington’s life has not been without hardship. She just gets on with it.
“It happened really quickly. I said ‘alright, fine’ – I didn’t think about it.
“To tell you the honest truth, I did not think about it; I got on with it. Now I look back, I’ll have had 16 goes of chemo when I finish the treatment on Monday.
“How did I do that?”
She gives three two-year-olds to follow – The Bear Trap, Matter Of Fact and With Style – and I point out that the last two names could apply to this remarkable woman.
“She’s a legend,” says stable jockey Shane Foley – and sometimes a handful of words will do.
“Finish your coffee,” Jessica Harrington shouts. “We’ve another string of horses to see,” the Master of Moone still taking us on a journey.
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'I did not think about it; I got on with it': Jessica Harrington on her cancer diagnosis
“LIFE TAKES YOU on a journey,” smiles Jessica Harrington. “I’m not sure you take life on a journey.”
The crows in beautiful Moone provide the symphony in the April sun around the southern tip of County Kildare. Dogs joust for our affection and defer to the boss, as soon do we.
She’s 76, nearing the end of 16 rounds of chemotherapy and it’s a struggle to stay in tow as she brings us to observe her happy string of horses. The Queen of Irish racing has around five dozen two-year-olds alone this year. And, somehow, she has never seemed in better form.
It was not until just before Cheltenham, where Moscow Flyer long ago helped to immortalise his trainer, that Harrington publicly revealed the breast cancer diagnosis that she had been facing with reluctance but characteristic tenacity since October.
Racing had too much respect for the story to get out. Jessie would decide in her own time.
“I have chemo brain – you have to be easy on me,” she tells one of the journalists. Yet she greets every horse by name; goes into pedigrees ad-lib; talks about yard expansion; and previews Nicky Henderson’s annual stayover for Punchestown with the zest of a yearling.
She used to be primarily a Jumps trainer but now has three-quarters Flat to a quarter National Hunt. She only landed her first Classic success when Alpha Centauri won the Irish 1,000 Guineas in 2018 and her big ambition now is to win the Derby.
Jessie enjoyed wallowing in the serenity of Gowran last night but Punchestown might be too much just now – too many people asking how she is – and Aintree was not on the agenda Saturday, even if Lifetime Ambition were running. He was taken out at Valentine’s in the National.
“He’ll go to Galway for the Plate but it would be a lifetime ambition to win the National,” she smiles.
About her cancer, she is as candid as ever. “Since the last treatment, they got me the medication to make me feel right. Chemotherapy does things to the body I wouldn’t like to even tell you, but I feel good this morning.”
And she looks it too. “Three weeks before the medication, I felt like I’d rather die! Last night I went to bed and I was physically tired, rather than sick tired. That was great.
“Everyone has been so kind, unbelievably kind. Nobody really knew till February that I was on the sick list. Honestly, everyone around here has been so kind, looking after me.”
What with her diagnosis, sickness and even being over a decade into the pensioner stakes, did she ever consider taking a step back at all?
“The worst thing has been feeling sick. I did for five days take a back seat. I was in the hospital for four days straight after Christmas and six days more in February.
“I wasn’t going to let it get the better of me. Get up every morning, that’s what you need to do!
“I live in a lovely place, I look at these horses every day and I look at that view towards the mountain: what have I to complain about?”
She talks of her late husband Johnny, who is not around to get her through the tough days, but so thankful that her daughters stepped into the void.
“Kate has been amazing. She has not taken a day off since before Christmas. She is taking two weeks off in May only as she thinks I’m alright now.
“Emma and (husband) Richie, all the staff – they have all been fantastic and never complained.”
She dealt with the news of cancer in that stoic manner that long defined her. Harrington’s life has not been without hardship. She just gets on with it.
“It happened really quickly. I said ‘alright, fine’ – I didn’t think about it.
“To tell you the honest truth, I did not think about it; I got on with it. Now I look back, I’ll have had 16 goes of chemo when I finish the treatment on Monday.
“How did I do that?”
She gives three two-year-olds to follow – The Bear Trap, Matter Of Fact and With Style – and I point out that the last two names could apply to this remarkable woman.
“She’s a legend,” says stable jockey Shane Foley – and sometimes a handful of words will do.
“Finish your coffee,” Jessica Harrington shouts. “We’ve another string of horses to see,” the Master of Moone still taking us on a journey.
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Horse Racing Jessica Harrington