Dancing With The Stars winner Nina Carberry has shared the heartfelt message her pro dance partner Pasquale La Rocca sent her the morning after he was rumoured to be poached by Strictly Come Dancing bosses.
The champion jockey and the Italian dancer lifted the glitterball trophy on this year's RTE One show.
Weeks after their win, Pasquale is now rumoured to be in talks with Strictly bosses to join the BBC show to replace Aljaz Skorjanec.
Read More: DWTS champion Nina Carberry plans to spend quality time with husband after show
Nina shared a message from Pasquale shortly after the rumours were made public, saying he didn't know what was happening.
Nina told us: "He said 'Thank you partner, this morning is all over the papers, who knows?'"
The Meath native said she would love to see Pasquale dance on Strictly Come Dancing.
"I'd love to. Of course I would. I'd be like, 'I danced with him.'"
Nina was speaking at the first day of the return of the Punchestown Racing Festival after three years behind closed doors.
Nina joked that she feels she is more recognisable from winning Dancing With The Stars now than winning the Grand National.
"Great. It's brilliant. I got more of a reaction from the public than winning the Grand National. For me, it hit everyone from two-year-olds to 90-year-olds so it is just an amazing audience that the show has.
"I can't believe it (winning the show). I just took it week by week and I felt like I would just give it my all every week and probably get voted out and half hoping I would to end it," she said jokingly.
"It was full on. I can't explain to you how full on it was. literally my head was fried. I really enjoyed it. The last three weeks and I gave it my all and it was the best thing.
"You would just be prepared and give it your all. I thought I could do three nights a week and then go do my dancing and that doesn't happen so you've to be prepared to do it everyday, your five hours and if you can do that you can get through it."
But she joked she had PTSD for several weeks after the show ended.
"I did (PTSD) for the first couple of weeks. I thought I needed to be doing something. Pasquale was like 'I miss training'. It's that buzz every weekend.
"Dancing With The Stars brought my profile up a little bit. But they do associate me with racing. I tell people I'm a dancer now, it's very funny."
She added she was delighted to be back on the racing track, adding: "Fairyhouse had a massive crowd and the reaction from them before the National was brilliant to see. It's nice that that atmosphere is back and I can't wait to see how Punchestown fares out."
Nina was among the 14,562 punters who gathered at the Kildare racecourse as Mighty Potter claimed a surprise victory in the Bective Stud Champion Novice Hurdle.
A field of five runners went to post for the first Grade One of this year's Festival, with much of the pre-race focus on the Willie Mullins-trained pair of Sir Gerhard and Dysart Dynamo.
Gordon Elliott said: "It's brilliant to win the first two races. I know it's not going to be smooth sailing all week and when Willie gets going it will probably be like a steam train!
"I'm very lucky with all the support I have in the yard."
Elsewhere away from the parade ring, the Bollinger Tent was packed with stylish ladies all dressed up to compete.
The head of Barretstown Children's Charity, Dee Ahearn, from Kilcullen in Kildare, was crowned winner of the first day of the Bollinger Best Dressed Ladies competition.
Dressed in a turquoise outfit, a delighted Dee revealed she had her dress designed back in 2019 ahead of meeting Hilary Clinton.
She said: "I designed my outfit myself and it was made for me by a girl in Naas called Liz Byrne. She’s a brilliant designer and she’s fantastic.
"I had the dress made, I had the dress made for Hilary Clinton visiting town in 2019 and so I haven’t had the chance to wear the dress since.
"I bought the hat here from one of the milliners here in town and my bag is Prada and my shoes are Nine West and I can’t believe I’ve won.
"She (Hilary) did (complemented) at the time, she said my dress was beautiful. So it sat in my wardrobe for that long so it’s lovely to wear it."
Speaking about winning the competition on the first day, she said: "I actually can’t believe it, I'm so delighted, I'm thrilled."
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Glam led the races, with many punters dressing up for the day out.
Pharmaceutical company, McKesson Ireland, treated their staff to a day off after a long two and a half years.
Colleagues Ailbhe McMackin and Eve Mortimer usually attend Galway Races but travelled up to Punchestown to soak up the atmosphere.
Dressed in a monochrome number from Coast, accessorised with a Chanel bag, Ailbhe said: "I really hope it rains because I’ve got an umbrella! "I customized it myself. Coast dress, Chanel bag and Hat is from Tocchica and I've always loved my fair lady so I've always thought that racing should be black and white, hence the outfit.
"We’re all now in a different world after Covid. I opened my wardrobe and was like, I’ve got 40,000 dresses here, I really shouldn’t keep buying. It’s great to get out and see people’s faces again. Our company is pharmaceutical so we looked after the Covid vaccine so it’s been a long, tough stint but you’d be really proud of being involved in that."
Her glamourous colleague Eve wore a dress by Evita Grace, while rewearing her wedding shoes for the big day.
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