Eric's not idle ahead of packed racing Christmas card

At Eric McNamara's yard in Co Limerick, it’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas, and not just because of the decorations.

A solitary springy Santa hangs on a hook next to the polished leather saddles, as this busy yard in Rathkeale is under starters' orders for the festive race meetings.

Even when the rest of the country is in wind-down mode, it’s still business as usual on the gallops. He has 50 horses who still need riding out, brushing and feeding, and the stables themselves also need attention.

This time of year is one of the highlights of the racing calendar.

McNamara’s scenic yard with its air of industrious preparations is a scene replicated all around the country - seasonal slacking not being an option for the equine community.

"I suppose for the likes of us, it's busy," the Limerick trainer says.

"Christmas Day, Christmas Eve, it's all the same for us. We are facing into four very busy days of racing at Leopardstown and Limerick.

"It is very busy, but we enjoy it.

"We have been doing it all our lives. We will still go in and eat our Christmas dinner and enjoy it. We are lucky we have built up to have nearly 50 horses in training so they will be ridden out every day."

"A lot goes into it," Kate McNamara, Eric’s daughter is keen to stress.

"We are kind of so used to it at this stage, Dad is useless on the phones and the computers, that's where I come in."

There is a lot of paperwork to be done, with entries and declarations, she explains.

"Admin-wise there's so much of it now, even with the horses veterinary wise – the use of prescriptions has to be written into a medical book.

"The likes of entries and declarations all must be done. If a horse is wearing a hood, for example, all of that has to be declared. A lot goes into it behind the scenes that people don't see.

"We have great staff. They come in Christmas morning, we have four or five lots on Christmas morning, same on Christmas Eve and New Year’s. There’s no bank holiday in horses to be honest. It's a 24/7 job."

"We enjoy it, it's a way of life"

"On Christmas morning it’s all systems go. We ride out all the horses, especially the ones who will be running over the four days in Limerick and Leopardstown, they will all have to be ridden out. We love it though.".

It’s big business too. Leopardstown alone employs over 1,000 people each day for their four-day festival.

Horse Racing Ireland have said that the south Dublin track contributes a staggering €60m to the capital’s economy each year.

This father-daughter combination in Rathkeale make a good team.

"Myself and dad have been working full-time together for probably about three years at this stage," Kate says. "We get on great, which is brilliant, because otherwise it would be a complete disaster," she laughs.

The festive races mark the beginning of a hectic schedule.

"Obviously, then after that you are into Punchestown, Fairyhouse and Tramore so it's a particularly busy time. But we enjoy it, it's a way of life. We have been doing all our lives", Eric says.

"This year we have three or four horses to go to Leopardstown, usually we might only have one or two.

"Weveallbeencaught in the Paddy Power, County Final will run in the big novice handicap and Millstream Lady will go for the Pertemps.

"We will be reasonably well represented in Limerick, with at least three or four runners every day, so hopefully we will poke a winner out of it some place."

A place in the winner’s enclosure, as always, the best Christmas gift of all.