EARLIER this year racing photographer Pat Healy was appointed chairman of Listowel Races and his fellow committee members were ribbing him saying Pat jinxed the festival which starts on Sunday and was going to have no racegoers this year.

During the week Pat was getting a small bit excited that Sizing John was ready to run on the Sunday card. This would have been the first time a Cheltenham Gold Cup winner ran at the Harvest Festival since L’Escargot in 1975. Sadly news filtered through on Thursday evening that the Jessica Harrington-trained 10-year-old had suffered an injury and connections have decided to retire him.