"You are a man with problems at the moment, you have issues, pilots and that sort of stuff," Matt Chapman joked with Michael O'Leary shortly before the off of the Deloitte Novices Hurdle at Leopardstown.
The At The Races presenter had been attempting - ultimately unsuccessfully - to extract a positive statement from the Ryanair boss regarding Samcro, O'Leary's unbeaten six-year-old who would shortly after win the grade one hurdle by five lengths.
Chapman again spoke to O'Leary following the win for Samcro and questioned him about the horse's trainer, Gordon Elliot, and jockey, Jack Kennedy.
"You hold him, obviously, in the highest regard, you think he's really special," Chapman said about Elliot.
"I don't. I think he's somewhat overweight, not as good looking as me. He's better at training horses than I am, to be fair. I'm thinking of getting him into roster a couple of pilots, sort out a couple of the other issues," O'Leary joked about his trainer.
It was then that Chapman hit O'Leary with another quip about his problems away from the racecourse.
Let's make this clear: Samcro's not special. Gordon's overweight. Jack is one of many. I'm beginning to see why the pilots didn't turn up.
It was a comment which O'Leary called a "low blow".
What does Michael O'Leary think of Samcro now?! @MCYeeehaaa grabs a word at @LeopardstownRC: pic.twitter.com/Vm4WDunpLy
— At The Races (@AtTheRaces) February 4, 2018
