THE annual exodus of the equine fraternity from Barryroe and surrounds to Cheltenham this week has an extra incentive, as the Seven Heads Group syndicate has a runner in this Thursday’s Mares' Hurdle (2m 4f and 56yds), which goes to post at 2.40pm.

Locally bred by Pat Tobin, Dream On Baby is trained and ridden by Carlow’s Emmet Mullins. Earlier this week she was available at 25/1.

A winner at Kempton last November, she finished second to Feet Of The Dancer in Doncaster in late January. The Seven Heads Group syndicate also owns the successful Barra Rua, who won at Tramore the day after Dream On Baby’s Kempton success.

Three members of the Seven Heads Group syndicate flew out from Cork Airport on Tuesday afternoon. Others departed on Wednesday and this Thursday morning, all in advance of the race.

At Cork Airport, Barryroe’s Densy Whelton told The Southern Star: ‘I’ve been going to Cheltenham for nearly 30 years and we always enjoy it. But to have a horse there is something out of this world – unreal, really. It’s really special and we’re looking forward to it. It’s just something else to have a horse running in a race there, and we are all looking forward to it.’

Another regular at Cheltenham, Barryroe’s Brendan O’Sullivan, said: ‘It’s great for us that we have a runner. There are some very good horses in the race but you never know. It’s great to be part of it all and hopefully we will find a good few winners over the next few days.’

Anthony Keohane from Timoleague was also enthusiastic about the trip.

‘We are all looking forward to an exciting few days – the level of the atmosphere is quite unique, especially in the build-up to each race.’