THE Champion Novice Rider award has thrown up a plethora of household names over the decades, from Davy Russell and Timmy Murphy to Adrian Maguire and Derek O’Connor. In this year’s champion, either Liam Quinlan or Shane Fitzgerald, we have two very talented candidates.

Win, lose, or draw in the race for title honours, Liam Quinlan has made one of the most immediate impacts on point-to-pointing of any young jockey in recent years.