Infield welcome

THE decision to allow a portion of the racegoers at the Curragh for Irish Champions Weekend is a welclome addition to the day. It makes perfect sense when you see how it works at the big festival meetings in Britain, Ascot, Epsom and York.

Roses and Rosario

AT the Arlington racetrack, I’m not sure if it is a tradition for the winning jockey to also take on the winners’ garland of flowers after the Arlington Million but Joel Rosario was happy to be interviewed wearing the flowers over his shoulders. It would have been interesting if Ryan Moore would have won it while Frankie Dettori might have done a flying dismount, flowers and all.

Euros can compete stateside

THE US Grade 1s at Arlington last week again highlighted that European listed-class performers are capable of landing big pots in the US. A second place of the Marco Botti-trained Fanciful Angel (rated 107), who almost won the Arlington Million, and another from Taj Mahal, second in the Grade 1 Secretariat, showed again there are few stars on the US turf scene.

Frankels from the front

FRANKEL’s half-term stud report might well have been stamped ‘can do better’ especially after Nathaniel had come up with the star filly Enable.

Eminent had looked like a possible classic star early in the season but his Eclipse run had cast a doubt.

However, with Ryan Moore dictating a very positive move to front running, he dominated the Group 2 Prix Guillaume d’Ornano Haras du Logis Saint-Germain at Deauville and came home strong like a top-class horse. He could have a big say in the end of year contests.

Next week is another big one for Frankel as dual Derby place-getter Cracksman heads to York for the Great Voltigeur and a possible rematch with Capri.

Light down under

WHEN suggesting last week that the Willie Mullins-trained Riven Light might be a dark horse moving into group level, the imagination didn’t quite stretch to some of the Group 1 races on the planet.

That was to underestimate what Willie Mullins might think the gelding capable of, if a trip to Australia and a race against Winx is on the agenda. To threaten the mighty mare would be one of the giant killing acts, likely to rival anything that Clive Brittain ever attempted.

A Gig in Dingle

A FEW social media wits noted the famous colours carried by young Sam Ewing in winning the Dingle Derby last weekend.

It seems like the Gigginstown influence is stretching into every element of racing, before and after the main events.

What’s in a name

PARENTS remember, it’s going to be difficult to get a name in a headline when you are called Katarina Johnson Thompson, Trent Alexander-Arnold etc.

Horse tales

THERE was some interesting reading on the racing front this week. Check out two incredible tales in these articles:

The rise and fall of Mary Bacon, the ‘Klansman’s Jane Fonda’ –Davey Hannigan in the Irish Times

Funds being raised for hero’s statue at KY Horse Park – Lenny Shulman in Blood-Horse

Keep the stars safe

IT’s that time of year when we get excited about all the big star jumpers coming back into training.

And the next week we hear of injuries to the same horses. Fingers crossed we hear more of the former and less of the latter for the next month.