WHERE has 2022 gone? One moment we are welcoming the return of the turf season on the flat, and suddenly we are saying goodbye to it. A disadvantage of growing older is that the years seem to pass by more quickly.

While we wave goodbye to the flat, we say hello to the National Hunt season in earnest. I know that for some this means a period of hibernation – one racing friend who dislikes the jump season calls it obstacle racing. He is a flat purist, and before you get up in arms about his view, there are plenty of supporters of the winter game who have a similar take on the flat.

This weekend sees me at Down Royal for the first Grade 1 of the Irish National Hunt season, and then there is just about time to find a comfortable seat for a ringside view of the Breeders’ Cup at Keeneland. Apart from keeping an eagle eye on the Irish challenge, Flightline is the major attraction for many. Is he the best horse in the world? We will know more tonight.

We were denied the head-to-head finish to the jockeys’ championship we hoped for following the confirmation of Billy Lee’s suspension on Wednesday. It would have added that extra level of tension to the final meeting of the season, instead of which Colin Keane got an early crowning of another outstanding season for him, headlined by his win on Westover in the Irish Derby.

Racing certainty

One of the certainties in life at this time is that Aidan O’Brien will be champion trainer. He goes into battle with the strongest team each year, and he will be crowned champion for the 25th time tomorrow – a remarkable landmark. Meanwhile, Sue Magnier’s battle is with her racing partners to secure yet another champion owner title.

For some, and with great respect to the three title winners above, a highlight of the season was to see the continuing emergence of Dylan Browne McMonagle as a major force in the saddle. His second apprentice championship is a notable achievement, and with it came a breakthrough Group 1 victory on Al Riffa in the Goffs Vincent O’Brien National Stakes. Could that horse take the young Letterkenny native to even greater heights in 2023?

The pony racing ranks in Ireland can be proud of Dylan and of the young man who chases him home in the title race for the second time, Mikey Sheehy.