The last week has been both busy and rewarding and there were a number of talking points, punctuated by the sad news of the death of Thurles racecourse’s Pierce Molony. A member of a family that has had the good of racing at its heart for many generations, he was a most popular man with everyone in the racing world.

Irish racing had a great day at Leopardstown last Sunday as Hurricane Fly almost lifted the roof off the Leopardstown stand when he won his fifth consecutive BHP Irish Champion Hurdle. Few horses ever capture the imagination of the racing public as he has done and it is a great pleasure to join forces with Connolly’s Red Mills and the race sponsor to give readers a memento of this historic victory.