THE white flag will be raised at Roscommon on Tuesday at 5.40pm to herald the start of the racing year at Roscommon. Three hours later, starter Pat Malone will get the runners underway for the seventh and final race on the card. The programme for the day has something for everyone, with four flat races, a bumper and two chases.

Twenty years ago Michael Finneran was appointed manager at Roscommon and his enthusiasm for the role has not waned. As I spoke with him on Friday he was about to head down the track to catch up with the groundsmen, putting the final touches to the course in advance of next week’s start.