Cheltenham Festival 2012: Barry Geraghty dreams of glory on Sprinter Sacre in the Arkle Chase These days Geraghty, 32, doesn't so much live in Meath as "Dreamland" as he calls it. Now in his fourth season as first jockey to Nicky Henderson, he commutes from Ireland for a few days each week, like Ruby Walsh, enjoying the best of both worlds. "As a job it is second to none," he says. I was 23 when I won the National on Monty's Pass. Moscow Flyer (2003 and 2005 Champion Chases) and Kicking King (2005 Gold Cup) were around at the same time and I had five at Cheltenham one year but I felt my career lulled a little when they went off the scene, though I still managed to nick a few. But even since I joined Nicky the quality in his yard has gone up and up. Despite a Gold Cup and three Champion Chases in his haul of 20 Festival winners, his narrow victory in the 2009 Champion Hurdle on Punjabi, sealing Geraghty's first season at Seven Barrows, gave him the biggest thrill. Moscow was always nailed on his Champion Chases, Kicking King was nailed on apart from his dirty scope a few weeks before which meant he could have died a death three out. But, though we fancied Punjabi, he wasn't a short price (22-1) and it was a three-way photo. On Moscow and Kicking King you'd be saluting the crowd with 50 yards to go. It was so close that even 50 yards after the line none of us [Ruby Walsh on Celestial Halo and AP McCoy on Binocular] were saluting the crowd. "In fact we nearly drove the horses into the stable lads" canteen at the top of the run-in. None of us knew where the line was, we were riding so hard. You'd probably get a little holiday for that now. Geraghty has some fine rides at this year's Festival: Riverside Theatre, Simonsig, Tetlami, Triolo D'Alene, Finian's Rainbow - who "may have turned the corner, the corner that's been eluding him all season" - Bobs Worth and Burton Port but, since Moscow Flyer, no horse has excited him quite like Henderson's Arkle favourite Sprinter Sacre. "Everything about him I like," he explains. He's still a handful, which is often the way with very good horses. When he sees a fence, he grows. The brave ones grow, the not-so-brave shrink. Without being aggressive, when he sees a fence he wants to take it on. Horses like him are a lot more edge-of-the-seat to ride than they look. Newbury was a display but he's no passenger ride. The really good ones test you all the way. Even as a novice in the Game Spirit, he was man among boys and they were 150-160 rated horses. He broke the course record hard on the bridle. "If I'd said "go" at the top of the straight he could have knocked six seconds off it. I'm certain he can go all the way. The king is battered and bruised but, in Geraghty's view, a prince awaits in the wings.