SAM Ewing expects to be out of action for up to six weeks with a leg and ankle injury he picked up in a fall at Navan last weekend.

The 22-year-old jump jockey has been enjoying a superb season. His 19 winners so far were highlighted by five Christmas Festival wins which included Grade 1 victories aboard Solness and Affordale Fury.

However, Ewing will miss next weekend’s Dublin Racing Festival following his Navan tumble from Grimaud in a handicap hurdle. “I actually landed on my feet but twisted my ankle and there are a few little breaks in the leg,” he said on Friday. “I’m seeing [surgeon] Paddy Kenny next Tuesday but I don’t think I will need surgery. My guess is that it will take six weeks to fully heal.”

A CELEBRATION of the life of Ciara Eglington Lyons of Collegelands Stud will take place today [Saturday] at 12.30pm in the Temple at Newlands Cross Crematorium in Dublin. Following a short illness, she died peacefully on Tuesday at the Mater Hospital, aged 59.

With husband Austin Lyons, Eglington produced many winners at Collegelands in Summerhill, Co Meath. The stud was established in 1996 and, from a small number of broodmares owned by themselves and friends, they produced and sold bred US Grade 1 winner Watsdachances and the Group 1-placed Aloha Star.

THIS evening’s ITBA National Breeding and Racing Awards will be live-streamed via the itba.ie website.

The awards recognise the success of Irish-bred horses, both flat and National Hunt, during 2025. It is also an opportunity to acknowledge those who have made a lifelong contribution to the Irish thoroughbred breeding industry. The awards ceremony will be streamed live from 10pm.

ANDRASCH Starke, Germany’s most successful jockey of all time, has retired, aged 52.

He rode over 2,800 winners and was champion jockey 10 times. He rode the winner of the German Derby on eight occasions. He is best known for his association with Danedream, winner of five Group 1 races across 2011 and 2012, including the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe and the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes.

THE Irish Field and the Tote will host a Dublin Racing Festival preview on Friday evening.

This live event will take place in the Sandyford House pub, just 3km from Leopardstown Racecourse. The panel consists of Mark Boylan and Amy Lynam from The Irish Field, Grade 1-wining former champion rider Jamie Codd, David Casey from the Willie Mullins team, and award-winning racing journalist and form expert Rory Delargy.

Attendants will receive a free €5 Tote bet and a copy of The Irish Field hot off the presses. Each copy of the paper will contain a free €10 matched bet which is redeemable at Leopardstown.

Those who buy tickets via The Irish Field website this weekend will have their names entered in a draw for two DRF weekend passes (worth €150). The winner will be announced on the night.