IF you were ever in any doubt about Richard Fahey’s understanding of what is required to win a big flat handicap in Britain, that doubt has no doubt been blown out of the water over the course of the last two Saturdays.

Two weeks ago, he won the Ayr Gold Cup with Don’t Touch, a horse he had ear-marked for the race since the day that he won his maiden at Newcastle just last May. Then last week, he sent out Third Time Lucky to land the Cambridgeshire.

If you look back on all the big straight-track handicaps run in Britain so far this year, they have been peppered by Richard Fahey. It all started on the first weekend of the turf season when the Clogherhead man sent out Gabrial to win the Lincoln.

Eastern Impact won the Havana Gold Handicap at Newmarket’s Guineas meeting (that was before he finished third in the July Cup), Rene Mathis won the Bunbury Cup, Heaven’s Guest won the International Handicap and, as well as Don’t Touch’s victory in the Ayr Gold Cup, Tatlisu won the Ayr Silver Cup.

On top of that, Fahey won a big fillies’ nursery at Newmarket with Holy Grail, and he won valuable sales races with Mr Lupton and Lathom, while at the same time reminding us that he can still do Group races with Birchwood and Ribchester.

This adds up to Richard Fahey’s best season to date. At the time of writing, he had sent out 198 winners during this British turf season, and amassed over £3 million in prize money. That’s more winners and more money than ever before.