Dear Santa,

I wonder if, after a busy Christmas Eve, you put your feet up and enjoy a great few days of racing over the festive period? If you do, you’ll understand my request this year.

Keeping pace with the jam-packed schedule of racing would be far more enjoyable if there was a red button on my remote where I could switch between meetings. It’s difficult to keep up and see everything you want. There’s nothing worse than looking forward to a Grade 1 spectacular, only to miss the lead-up because there’s a Class 5 handicap hurdle in the way.

Of course, Racing TV Extra is an option, but who wants to watch such stellar races on their laptop. A red button wouldn’t just be for Christmas, either. There’s little lead-up or reflection on so many races these days, and I pity anyone who invests their hard-earned money into putting a horse in training, only to catch a few minutes of their horse on screen. After all, it’s bad enough when you don’t get to the races to see them in the flesh.

Perhaps others have requested the same. I know you don’t run Racing TV, but I’m sure you, of all people, can work your magic.

Yours faithfully,

Amy Lynam

Dear Santa,

I know you have a fair bit of pull in high places, and I’m hoping that extends to the handicappers - especially those in Britain.

With so many handicaps on the schedule at the Cheltenham Festival nowadays, punters have little choice but to do battle with bookmakers in them on each card. The days of a Douvan-Un De Sceaux-Faugheen-Annie Power style accumulator on day one are gone, with the pesky Plate Handicap Chase now replacing the Mares’ Hurdle on Tuesday.

What I’m asking from you is just a little leniency with the British handicapper for my Irish handicap fancies for this season’s Festival. Keep those extra pounds that the Irish-trained horses receive at the minimum, please!

For example, around this time last year, I was sweet on Ethical Diamond as my fancy for the County Hurdle, and no mercy was shown to him whatsoever.

Having won a Punchestown maiden hurdle on his final start before the meeting when rated 131, he ended up being whacked up to a mark of 143 in British money for Cheltenham. Being beaten three and three-quarter lengths when fourth in the County was a fair effort after getting too far back - but he’d surely have had a huge say but for the crazy penalty he got for winning ‘only’ a maiden hurdle.

So, as we gear up for the lead-in to the Festival, please do keep an eye out for my handicap selections in these pages and have a quiet word on their behalf with the most powerful figures of all in this game. Surely that’s not an unrealistic request…

All the best,

Mark Boylan

Dear Santa,

Well, you surpassed our dreams last year. I always knew you were a true ‘Reds’ man, those poxy gold and pink Santas in the shops are just a modern palaver.

A Louth Leinster title and a Liverpool Premier League title made it the best of summers!

But we’ve been good, obedient believers up here in the Wee County (that’s what 68 years does to you!), so we are back looking for more. Those big money ‘pool lads don’t need Santa, but keep them scoring!

Could you get the Aussies to give me a free trip to the Melbourne Cup? I’ll praise all their jockeys, if they need encouragement. I’d fancy going to the new Belmont Park too.

And Cheltenham needs a front page story - get Galopin back his Gold Cup. Let Lossie have a bigger day.

Keep us all safe, and send Constitution Hill a racing calculator so he can measure how far to stand off those hurdles. We do not want any disasters.

And for every man, woman and child who throws a leg over a horse or pony, keep them safe.

Safe travels and Merry Christmas!

Anne Marie Duff

Dear Santa,

I’ve been mostly good this year, I’ve only rolled my eyes at one “He’ll come on for the run” quote. All I want for Christmas this year is one trainer who actually calls back after saying, “I’ll call you back in a minute” and an owner who doesn’t ask for a rewrite after I’ve typed up the interview and sent it to production.

A new coffee machine in our office staff room would be great as well. It would probably help me manage if you can’t follow through with my first two requests.

With festive regards,

Your over-caffeinated racing correspondent,

Amy Corrado

Dear Santa,

It is with mixed emotions that I write this letter, as you never did bring me the pony that I requested, without fail, each and every year of my childhood. However, that was a valuable lesson and taught me the determination to get what I wanted for myself…

I now have too many equines to fit into an Ifor Williams - try as I might, nose to tail, back to front, I simply cannot squeeze four in.

So, there is only one thing on my Christmas wish list this year - a little 7.5 tonne lorry, stalled for three (they will just have to take turns for somebody to stay at home), with ‘wow factor’ living (for having a cuppa in comfort when it’s raining) and preferably with a toilet (for when my nerves get the better of me). I know you might think I already have enough horsepower, but some more will never go amiss.

I promise that I will be a good girl, if you could please just grant this one little wish this year!

Yours in anticipation,

Bree Rutledge

Dear Santa,

Bit of an unusual request this year but as an adult amateur approaching middle age I am attempting, in a cumbersome and injury-prone way, to relive the pony-mad days of my youth. Unfortunately, in addition to finding that 15 years out of the saddle has rendered me rather ineffective as a rider, I have found that I’ve lost my bottle. Can you please help me find it? I have my angel pony standing by, fit and ready for whatever I throw at him, but I find myself regularly paralysed by fear. Anything over 80cm and even remotely scary-looking and I freeze - leaving all the decision-making to my green, yet somehow bolder than me, four-legged friend. I think wistfully back to the days of haring around hunter trials with reckless abandon. I know those days are behind me and I have responsibilities now (sigh), but please-oh-please could you help me find even a small bit of courage for 2026?

Oh and I’m still in need of the oh-so-elusive ‘been there, done that’ and terribly tolerant first ridden pony for the kids (who unsurprisingly have more bottle than me!). If you could be a darling and find one for me.

Thanks etc.,

Lesley Hunter-Nolan

Dear Santa,

How’s the gout?

I’m not sure if you had a hand in it, it’s very possible I added you to the divine intervention list that I begged for help from, but if you did finally get my Equine Premises Number over the line after an almost five-month wait, then thanks a million.

This year, I’m rather hoping you can have a word with Tony the Pony and Anna, the two latest additions to our equine therapy programme. I don’t think they need to go on the naughty list per se, but if there is a way to sprinkle some elf dust to temper their inappropriate zoomies and enthusiastic high jinx, then that would be a great help indeed.

And seeing as Shetlands are only small, could I also have a blue Hermes Avoine blanket please? It gets chilly up here in Co Fermanagh.

Thanks Santa,

lots of love Helen Sharp

PS Will leave extra carrots and brandy as usual.

Dear Santa,

Any chance you could send your elves to help finish a house? We have finally moved into our new home but there are so many jobs still to be done around the place before hosting up to 20 people for Christmas dinner (!!) and I only have one husband (!) who is busy looking after sheep, cattle and ponies in this grim weather. Speaking of the weather, if said elves could also bring an Aloga rug (our favourite) for our newest addition – the 7hh pony Buttons. I might have underestimated how he would adapt to the Connemara wind and rain, even with his fluffy coat.

Lots of love and thank you in advance,

Judith Faherty