The Galway Festival was a successful one for racehorse co-owner Ollie Ryan and trainer Matthew Smith.

And it all centred around One Cool Poet, who made history.

The horse became the first to win three flat races in the same week at Galway.

Basking in the afterglow, Ryan and Smith joined us on Friday Night Racing to reflect on the achievement.

"We didn't expect three," said Ryan.

"All you ever dream about as an owner is a winner at Galway. We never thought beyond the Tuesday. We actually had no real plan I think."

As Smith explained, it was almost a case of enter one race at a time without a grand plan.

"When he came out of the Tuesday well, we decided to declare for the Thursday rather than miss out on that and not get in on the Saturday," he said.

"So he got in on the Thursday and won. Didn't think he'd get in on the Saturday but he scraped in on the Saturday. It just fell together right."

One Cool Poet's Injury

The duo also detailed One Cool Poet's trajectory and the horse's injury struggles three years ago.

"He got a very bad injury - a shattered tendon - as a three-year-old," said Ryan.

"Any tendon injury with a horse is serious."

Smith continued: "Basically the tendon down the back of the front leg, it tore. Because it was very bad, they couldn't treat it. The problem with a horse's leg as well is there is so little blood flow to the legs for it to heal. And they actually said that he wouldn't race again."

He also recalled being "devastated" at the time, given One Cool Poet's potential.

"It's been a long road," Ryan admitted.

"You're tempted to give up then as well. I was praying often that Donal Brazil would ring me and say, 'Ollie, he's finished. He'll never run again'. Because then you know it's definitive, it's finished. You're looking for somebody to give you a bit of closure."

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