PAT HEALY: This week Pat welcomes the return of the National Hunt season at Down Royal this weekend. when he will also be bidding farewell to the Flat season at Naas on Sunday.
Champions
With the end of the Flat season upon us it’s only right to offer my congratulations once again to Colin Keane on his record-breaking Championship, and with Dundalk on Friday and Naas on Sunday he could easily add to his already impressive tally. As I’ve said before this season’s milestones are so deserved, he really is the ultimate professional and conducts himself as a real gentlemen and role model to young jockeys coming through. Even though he is still a young man, he has put himself in a position to be looked up to by young riders.
My congratulations must also go to young Dylan Browne McMonagle, who finishes the season as Champion Apprentice. Like Colin, he’s come a long way since the pony racing days where he had over 200 winners on the circuit, so he highlighted his name at a young age. He’s a lovely young man who conducts himself in the right manner and you wouldn’t know that he was about the place! He’s in a fantastic operation attached to Joseph O’Brien and it’s a great place for him to be with Joseph now being a leading international trainer. We wish him all the luck and look forward to watching his career progress.
Down Royal
There are some big names on display at Down Royal this weekend, and they don’t come much bigger than the Gold Cup winner Minella Indo. It’s going to be fantastic to see him back. He won at this time last year at Wexford on his reappearance run and Henry [de Bromhead] has been in the winner’s enclosure recently so I’m sure he’s happy with how his horses are, and I won’t be surprised to see Minella Indo win this and win it comfortably.
It’s always a great weekend at Down Royal for this meeting and the quality cannot be criticised, it’s also a key clue for punters as Cheltenham winners always come out of this weekend.
Rachael Blackmore
A massive welcome back to Rachael who was back in the winner’s enclosure this week at Wexford for her boss Henry de Bromhead. She must be made of concrete coming back and riding winners just three months after her horror fall at Killarney, and speaking to her at Wexford she is just full of excitement and enthusiasm for the season ahead. Hopefully, she can stay in one piece and really enjoy her riding now, as she’ll almost certainly be wanting to try and emulate some of the feats she achieved last year in her record breaking season.
