DAVID Mongey, chairman of Punchestown, was happy with the fulfilment of an idea which had been in gestation for eight years as the bronze of the late Fr Sean Breen, ‘The Breener’ by sculptor Emma MacDermott, was unveiled by Bishop Denis Nulty of Kildare and Leighlin and auxiliary Bishop of Dublin Eamonn Walsh and former trainer Joanna Morgan on Tuesday at Punchestown.

“I want to stress that this was a committee effort including Val Osborne, Mary Healy and Pat Murphy to get the project going. Fr Breen was the parish priest for Eadestown and Ballymore and was an iconic figure to racing and in particular to Punchestown. The opening race of the meeting is named in his honour.