THE voice of Dessie Scahill is very much missed in Irish racing, the commentator hanging up his microphone after the Irish Derby in 2018. With a career that spanned decades, there was no better man to act as MC on the night for a panel that included David Mullins, trainers Brendan Duke and Thomas Coyle, Busty Amond who is assistant trainer to Gordon Elliott, Frank Hickey of Paddy Power and The Irish Field’s Ronan Groome.

Amond kicked off the discussion of the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle with news from Olly Murphy that the ground was very testing at the moment and, if it stayed like that, Envoi Allen could run. Plan A remains the Ballymore, however, and Amond said that the other Elliott representative, Abacadabras, is a cracking each-way bet.