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.