Bargain buy
Having bought her four years ago at a market, O'Connor took a gamble on Cream Sparkles. At the same marke event that day, O'Connor explained to OTB's Ger Gilroy and Johnny Ward that former Coronation Cup winner Scorpion was also on sale.
"When I bought her [Cream Sparkles], I didn't realise that Scorpion wasn't the hottest thing going. But, maybe that was just as well for me" says O'Connor.
Despite being on a budget, O'Connor took a punt on the Bay Mare and bought the horse for €5,000 euro.
"We saw that the price was coming down and coming down. So I started bidding," says O'Connor. "Before I knew it I had bought her and we were delighted."
Child's Play
The naming of horses seems to be the world's best-kept secret. Is it an inside joke? Is it a deliberate tongue twister for the commentator? For O'Connor, it was in fact his daughter Rebbecca who came up with the name Cream Sparkles.
"Me and Rebbecca went out to look for her in the stables one day. I say to her: 'Rebbecca what do you want to call her?'" says O'Connor.
"The horse had a little bit of cream on her nose at the time. And so she says: 'I want to call her creamy'. Dave [Christie] had her all clipped up and she slightly glistening. So then Rebbecca goes: 'I want to call her Cream Sparkles'"
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