Cheltenham Festival: Kayley Woollacott and the poignant story of Arkle contender Lalor

Lalor has finished first and second in its two previous races at Cheltenham

Sometimes the story as a whole transcends the event, however major, at its centre: Lalor's participation in the Arkle Trophy at the 2019 Cheltenham Festival feels just such a case.

At a sporting venue famed for its heartrending rollercoaster of emotions, from sky high to the somewhat lower - and for the narrowness of the gap in-between - a win by Lalor in the fixture's foremost novices' steeplechase would write another chapter in the most poignant of sporting tales.

One of tragedy, mixed with inspiration, and maybe soon triumph.

Were that success to come at Cheltenham, any toast to celebrate the handsome seven-year-old - 'Lay-lor' to his friends - would unquestionably include one to an all-too-absent friend, his late trainer Richard Woollacott.

Woollacott had long been convinced that the horse - bought by him after being rejected by other trainers - had that certain something that would see him end up at jump racing's big four days of the year at Cheltenham, with his head in front.

Sadly, in January 2018, at the age of 40, the trainer was found dead at his home in north Devon. For some time, he had been suffering with mental health issues.

Richard Woollacott saddled 60 winners including two at Grade 2 level, with Lalor winning Aintree's Champion Bumper in April 2017

Now his widow Kayley will leg up the champion jump jockey Richard Johnson, wearing the light blue and maroon-coloured silks of owner David Staddon, onto Lalor's broad back with the intent of proving her husband correct.

Reflecting on 14 tumultuous months, Kayley Woollacott, 32, told BBC Sport: "Lalor has made a huge amount of difference to my life, personally, professionally, to every aspect. He's changed the last 12 months - they could have been massively different without him around.

"I think everybody here [Big Brook Park stables, South Molton] appreciates that, whether it be me, or my family, or the guys in the yard that have worked really hard on days that I've probably not been much use to them.

"He's given everybody a purpose, he's just a light, something to look forward to and he's stopped the whole operation just folding which would have been easy to do.

"We'll always be grateful for that, whatever he does in the Arkle."

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It is not just sentiment, however, that's causing Lalor, one of 20 horses under the care of Woollacott ("it's a minute operation"), to be such a notable fancy for the two-mile Arkle Trophy, staged on day one of the Festival.

Bred in Germany but raised in Ireland, the horse finished an encouraging runner-up on his racecourse debut only to be promoted to first place when the 'winner' failed a dope test.

Since then he's been successful in four races, including a Grade One hurdle race at Aintree's Grand National Festival and then, at the first time of asking over steeplechase fences, he ran away with a valuable trophy at the prestigious November meeting at Cheltenham.

Just before Christmas, most recently, soft going at Sandown was blamed for the surprise defeat inflicted on a horse whose trainer describes him as "a little bit of a diva - he looks miserable if you make him go out in the rain".

Away from occasional diva-like tendencies, the big, strong horse, is a gentle giant - Twinkle, a miniature Shetland pony, is his regular travelling companion to the races - happily allowing the Woollacotts' now three-and-half-year-old daughter Bella to play around him and lead him around the yard.

Bella, who has herself gained a following after featuring in the stable's social media postings with the hashtag #smalltrainer, is of course a constant and touching reminder of her father.

And although preparing Lalor and the rest of her horses, including The Kings Writ which may line up in day three's Fulke Walwyn, Kim Muir Chase, is her main priority, it's that reminder that ensures Woollacott's commitment to mental health causes.

With sister Steph Jones, she's taken part in a sponsored hike through Snowdonia in aid of the charity Mind, and Jones and Richard Johnson's wife, Fiona, are to soon take on the daunting challenge of the 3,000m Machu Picchu peak in Peru, which towers over the famous Inca site, again to raise funds.

Trainer Kayley Woollacott's daughter Bella with Lalor

While welcoming an improvement in awareness of such issues in the often stiff-upper-lip world of racing, Woollacott believes it should be better still.

"It's always been one of those industries that I suppose you are required to be on quite top-form all the time," she said.

"You wouldn't really want your jockey coming out and saying 'I'm not really feeling it today'. Same with your trainer.

"But it's got a lot better and there are some key people that have actually turned around and said 'it affects me' which has been really, really good."

As I say, a story of tragedy, inspiration, and maybe soon triumph.

The Racing Post Arkle Chase is at 14:10 GMT on Tuesday - the first of four days of the Cheltenham Festival.