Exclusive Interview: Owner Charlie McCarthy on Kopek Des Bordes setback There was disappointment this week for the McCarthy family as their exciting novice chaser Kopek Des Bordes was ruled out of the Christmas Festival at Leopardstown due to a small setback. Owner Charlie McCarthy explained the situation in detail to Niall Tierney and moved quickly to reassure supporters that the issue is not serious. “He’s absolutely fine, Willie rang me, and he said there was a floating chip in his knee, linked to an old injury, and they got it taken out, the wound just didn’t heal on time, so he missed a week, it's just a small setback,” McCarthy said. Setback Rules Out Christmas Festival Bid McCarthy was quick to mention the memory of Punchestown was foremost in the trainer’s mind. “He missed an extra week of training, and you saw what happened in Punchestown. “He wasn’t fit there, and you could see the consequences. Willie just wasn’t happy to miss that week and said it was better to skip it and not to run at Christmas. Willie said, ‘He’ll be fine, he's going to the Dublin Racing Festival, and that is the programme he is on now.’ Despite the frustration of missing the Christmas spectacle, McCarthy is keeping the bigger picture in focus: “Of course I’m disappointed - disappointed for myself, for the boys, for everyone who follows him. We’d have loved to be there at Christmas, meeting people, hoping the horse would win. “But that’s the hand of cards we were dealt, and that’s the road we’ll take.” Eyes on the Dublin Racing Festival and Cheltenham The plan now is firmly set on the Dublin Racing Festival and Cheltenham, with McCarthy extremely confident the horse will arrive at both events in peak form.“I know it’ll work out. I know he’ll give an excellent account at the Dublin Racing Festival and an exceptional account at Cheltenham,” he said. “Don’t you worry - I can guarantee you he’ll go to both of them fully fit.” For McCarthy, immediate relief followed the initial worry. “When Willie rang, I honestly thought it was something worse. So when he said it was only that, and the horse will be fine, I was relieved, once the horse is okay, that is the most important thing. In closing, McCarthy had a message for fans of the horse. “Tell the Kopek supporters that Charlie said it’s only a minor setback. We’ll be there, and we’ll fill your hearts with joy.” McCarthy also touched on the emotional side of the journey with Kopek Des Bordes. “Before I left the call, I said to Willie: "thanks for the happiness you’ve filled our hearts with, myself and the boys. We have been on an amazing journey, meeting so many kind people, and we can't wait to meet everyone again at the Dublin Racing Festival and Cheltenham. "With the long-term plan unchanged and optimism flowing from Closutton, Kopek Des Bordes remains firmly on course for the biggest stages of the season."
