NOT many Irish premier handicaps are won with the type of swagger that Loughrea won the Tote Irish Cambridgeshire with last Saturday. Then again, not many yards are having the type of season that his trainer Andy Slattery has been having in 2026.

Next March will mark 30 years since the Co Tipperary handler sent out his first winner and - after a flurry of victories in the past few days - the current campaign is now officially his very best yet. The success of his family-run operation has been one of the standout stories of the 2026 flat season so far.