DAVID Skelly first came to my attention in 2019 when he won The Irish Field Blue Hen Essay Award on his graduation day from the Irish National Stud Management Course. He went on to complete the Darley Flying Start programme.

He is in the news this week thanks to being a winning owner for the very first time in his own colours, the three-year-old New Bay (Dubawi) daughter Royal Bay Cen landing the spoils in the five and a half-furlong Listed Polonia Stakes at Cork by a sensational nine lengths. Bloodstock agent Skelly only owns the filly since February when he bought her at Arqana for €20,000.