THE past week has seen two Yorkshire-based Irishmen achieve the same notable feat, as John Quinn brought up his 1,000th training success with Safe Voyage in the Listed Surrey Stakes at Epsom on Saturday and David O’Meara was saddling his 1,000th flat winner in Britain when Sudona took the Pontefract Sports And Education Foundation Handicap on Monday.

It was a particularly emphatic celebration for Quinn, who had his first taste of success in Britain when leading in the J. P. McManus-owned Mister Donovan in what was the SunAlliance Hurdle at Cheltenham in 1982, as Safe Voyage was defying his reputation as mud-lover by smashing a course record which had lasted for almost 50 years.

Cork native O’Meara has saddled big winners in his native country as well as achieving Group 1 success in France, the US and Canada. He’s also had a few dozen winners over jumps, so actually passed his 1,000 last autumn, but flat trainers are primarily measured according to domestic totals, so this represents a significant achievement, especially as O’Meara was granted a licence for the first time just a decade ago, in June 2010.

ALSO in the news was Lizzie Kelly, who announced her retirement from race riding. Kelly is expecting a baby later this year, and is calling time on a riding career which saw her become the first woman to ride a Grade 1 winner over jumps when taking the Kauto Star Novices’ Chase at Kempton on board Tea For Two.

She also won an open Grade 1 at Aintree on the same horse, as well as enjoying Cheltenham Festival success over fences with Coo Star Sivola in the 2018 Ultima Handicap Chase and Siruh du Lac in the Brown Advisory & Merriebelle Stable Plate last year.

On a sadder note, it was reported that Quorto, who beat Derby winner Anthony Van Dyck to land the 2018 National Stakes, has suffered a fatal injury on the gallops. The son of Dubawi hadn’t been seen since his Curragh success, but was expected to make a return to action this summer.