ON the home front the first classics of the year represented the stuff of fairytales as Kevin Prendergast and Adrian Keatley took centre stage.

Firstly to Prendergast whose Irish 2000 Guineas success with Awtaad came an incredible 40 years after he last won the race. A winner of the Madrid Handicap on the opening day of the season and then successful in the Tetrarch Stakes, Awtaad supplied one of the highlights of recent years with his defeat of the English 2000 Guineas victor Galileo Gold.

One of the most prominent figures in Irish racing for over half a century Prendergast has enjoyed memorable days all the way from Nebbiolo through to La Collina but this was surely a triumph to match any of them. Indeed the reception accorded to Awtaad on his return to the enclosure at the Curragh was something to behold and to make it all the more special Prendergast achieved this success with long term allies Hamdan Al Maktoum and Chris Hayes.

ADRIAN KEATLEY

The following afternoon it was the turn of Adrian Keatley and Jet Setting’s rags to riches tale. A mere 12,000gns purchase at the horses in training sale the previous October, Jet Setting was another to win at that excellent late March meeting at Cork before bagging a Group 3 success at Leopardstown.

Any thoughts that the Leopardstown win might represent the pinnacle for the daughter of Fast Company were well wide of the mark and she excelled on the rain softened ground at the Curragh to shock Minding. The Jet Setting story took yet another turn for the better when she fetched €1.3m at the Goffs London Sale on the eve of Royal Ascot.

Interestingly the five domestic classics were won by five different trainers. The Derby went to Harzand and Aidan O’Brien took the Oaks with Seventh Heaven while the St Leger fell to the Willie Mullins-trained Wicklow Brave. The latter was providing his all conquering trainer with a first top level success on the flat as he upstaged the 1/7 favourite Order Of St George.

CHAMPIONS WEEKEND

Wicklow Brave’s success came on an Irish Champions Weekend where the 16 races being shared amongst 14 different trainers. For all the perception of flat racing as the preserve of the elite it would be hard to imagine the spoils being spread so evenly at a comparably high profile jumping fixture.

In terms of Champions Weekend the Champion Stakes provided a fitting centrepiece as the brilliant French colt Almanzor bested an excellent home defence in what was one of the strongest flat races run in Ireland over the last 40 years.

Champions Weekend was also notable for playing host to Joseph O’Brien’s first Group 1 success.

Since he began training under his own name in June the former champion flat jockey has made a huge impact and he duly opened his account at the highest level when Intricately claimed the Moyglare Stud Stakes.

To give this victory a special resonance this homebred filly was ridden by the trainer’s younger brother Donnacha.

FINE SEASONS

Elsewhere Ger Lyons and Willie McCreery both enjoyed fine seasons and picked up some good prizes along the way, Jim Bolger was notably dominant at Leopardstown through the summer while mention must go to Andy Slattery. The Tipperary trainer enjoyed a landmark campaign headed by the classy fillies Creggs Pipes and Planchart.

Slattery’s team were in tremendous form throughout the year which yielded several stakes race triumphs and several premier handicaps.

FLAT REVIEW IN NUMBERS

2 – In the post war era only the late Sir Henry Cecil and Aidan O’Brien have sent out seven winners over the five days of Royal Ascot.

5 – Domestic Group 1s won by Aidan O’Brien in 2016.

9 – The number of times Pat Smullen has been crowned champion jockey.

10 – Irish trained winners at Royal Ascot in 2016 which is a new record.

13 – The number of Group 1s won by David Wachman who retired at the end of the season.

19 – The number of times Aidan O’Brien has won the Irish trainer’s championship.

22 – Aidan O’Brien’s Group 1 haul for 2016.

48 – Winners ridden by Donnacha O’Brien en route to becoming champion apprentice.

77 – The number of winners ridden by Colin Keane which earned him the runner-up spot in the jockey’s title.

115 – Pat Smullen’s haul of winners for the domestic season. A record for the jockey.