Republic of Ireland legends' doomed venture into horse racing after Italia 90
Shortly after Italia 90, the former Chelsea and Aston Villa striker along with his Ireland teammates Andy Townsend, Niall Quinn and John Aldridge decided to buy a horse. They had dreams of Fireball burning it up on the track, but she was forced into retirement winless after just six races.
"Shortly After Italia 90, myself, Andy Townsend, Niall Quinn and John Aldridge bought a horse called Fireball that was being trained by Jim Bolger. Quinn was the ringleader and we had convinced ourselves that we had just got ourselves a Cheltenham winner," Cascarino explained.
"She went off as a 20/1 shot for her first race and was beaten by a 4/5 favourite, with a stablemate also finishing ahead of her. Unfortunately she had to retire after half a dozen races.
"A great experience. I can't wait to get back to Leopardstown for Champions Weekend in September, even more so that I no longer have to rely on Quinny's tips."
Cascarino, a Tonybet Brand Ambassador, was speaking as the betting firm announced their return to Leopardstown to sponsor the Group 2 Solonaway Stakes at Irish Champions Festival.
For the second year, the international online sports betting company is proud to sponsor the Group 2 race, named in honour of Solonaway, the legendary racehorse who captured victory in the Irish 2000 Guineas in 1949.
As part of their sponsorship, Tonybet have commissioned a new trophy to mark the occasion which will be presented to the winning connections on the day by Cascarino himself. Tonybet are sponsoring Group 2 Solonaway Stakes at Irish Champions Festival (Image: Oleg Zaicev)
Commenting on the partnership, Cascarino said: 'I'm absolutely delighted that Tonybet is once again sponsoring the Solonaway Stakes at Leopardstown. The Irish Champions Festival is special to us all, as it was our first foray into racing sponsorship which marked a significant milestone in our Irish journey. Having represented Ireland it's always a great feeling to be part of an occasion that celebrates Irish sporting heritage. I'm really looking forward to being at Leopardstown, to soak in the atmosphere and enjoy a day of world-class racing.'
Vicki Donlon, Interim CEO of Leopardstown Racecourse, commented: 'We are thrilled to welcome Tonybet back as the proud sponsor of the Group 2 Tonybet Solonaway Stakes on the opening day of Irish Champions Festival at Leopardstown. Their renewed support of this race is testament of their commitment and support of Irish racing. We look forward to witnessing the outstanding competition and celebrating racing's rich heritage once again with Tonybet's exceptional involvement."
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