AFTER spending most of the National Hunt season lamenting over the loss of owners and real characters in jump racing due to the overwhelming influence of the few bigger owners, we’ve given up and moved into a Gigginstown love-in.

What is certain is that the operation has a commendable record for putting trust in young talent.With three or four runners in the big handicaps many of the less established jockeys are given chances to break through.

Shane Shortall took the Galway Plate on Road To Riches two years ago. At the beginning of the year, neither Ger Fox nor David Mullins could have expected to have rides in the Grand Nationals, never mind win them. Both were given chances on decent horses and rose to the occasions with rides any senior jockey would have been proud of.

And did someone say Gigginstown didn’t do handicaps?

Eye in the sky

The Channel 4 team were heartened by the rise in viewing figures for the Grand National. However, one quibble was the overuse of the eye in the sky shots as the runners pass the winning post and go out in to the nextcircuit during a race. It adds very little as you can barely pick out a horse, never mind tell how well he is travelling from way up in the air.

Zenyatta’s

tale of woe

The risks in breeding even from great racemares was highlighted this week. Had Zenyatta ever passed through a sale ring who knows what amount she might have made.

Her fourth foal only lived a day this week, the second to die before it came close to the racecourse. Of four foals in five seasons at stud, from the great mare, two are gone while Cozmic One is four but has had only two starts, her three-year-old Ziconic also has two starts and just one placing to date.

Big Blue monster

Even after some classic trials and gallops this week, it’s a bit difficult to get enthused by the flat just yet. Ballydoyle appear to hold a very strong hand on the classic front with favourites in the Guineas, Derby and Oaks.

The build up is about to begin. After the “unbelievable horse”, “never had one like this”, “best we’ve ever had”, what would the unbeaten two-year-old champion be? Rivals should be even more afraid if Air Force Blue is a “monster”.

QUOTES OF THE WEEK

“We have Niall Horan and Bressie and now Rule The World is in Mullingar. It’s the best town in Ireland!” Catriona Quirke, (12)