JUST a couple of weeks have passed since Christmas and I am not sure if 50 weeks will provide sufficient recovery time for another lap of the track in December 2020. Our planned “quiet break” proved quite the opposite and started on Stephen’s Day when we headed down to Co Limerick for the children’s hunt there the next day. Lara’s godmother is a joint-master and her kind offer of a day out made for a memorable first day though I may yet find that the demands of this latest pursuit may leave me feeling less grateful than I did at the time.

It was certainly well supported by the thoroughbred industry and among those involved were Manister House Stud’s Luke Barry, Battaash’s breeders Paul and Marie McCartan, Godolphin star trainer Charlie Appleby, and Johnny Kennedy, manager of Coolmore Australia.