A

Adayar and Adam Kirby won the race that still matters, and added a King George; Alcohol Free picked up two Group 1s.

Allaho’s was perhaps the performance of the year in the Ryanair; Ahoy Senior emerged as an exciting novice in Britain.

Ado McGuinness lived the dream with a first Group 1 winner in A Case Of You.

Alizarine won in Galway but she then she didn’t.

Altior – we said farewell to a terrific horse.

Appelby, Charlie - fantastic year for the Godolphin trainer

Abbatoirs made the news for the wrong racing reasons.

Allen, Johnny – the big Irish success story down under.

Ardad – a surprise success among first-season sires.

B

Bolger, Jim – made many headlines to the joy and pain of racing authorities.

Baffert, Bob – another side of the drugs in racing issues.

Bob Olinger – a top novice hurdler and exciting novice chaser.

Bullying; Bryony – not the best news story.

Battaash – one of the fastest horses of recent years retired. Ben Coen – grabbing a Group 1.

Brooke, Lorna – sadly passed away in the spring.

BHA – rarely out of the headlines

Baaeed - appeared mid-season to top the milers

C

Only one Colin – Keane the worthy champion again.

Creative Force progressed through the ranks to be a sprinting force.

Choisir – farewell to a sprint star and pioneer for international travel.

Contrail – the Japanese star colt.

Chacun Pour Soi – Did everything immaculately, but only in Ireland.

Clan Des Obeaux – nicked a Grade 1 back for Britain

Caravaggio – Coolmore’s first-season sire success

Condon, Richie – Cheltenham winner and Grade 1 in the US.

D

Dylan, Browne McMonagle – from pony champ to leading apprentice.

Drugs – reared their heads everywhere.

Dunne, Robbie – found guilty of bullyng and banned.

Dansili - top sire passed away this week

E

Envoi Allen – still the talking horse?

Essential Quality – a classic winner in the US.

Energumene – the new superstar; a Champion Chase for Willie?

F

Frankel – leading sire and heir to his own sire Galileo – who wants a share of the £200,000 fee?

Frodon – hugely popular chaser, King George and Down Royal winner.

Freewheelin Dylan – the surprise Irish Grand National winner.

Flooring Porter – the surprise packet of the jumps season.

Foley, Tom – passed away, we shared memories of the Danoli.

Fitzgerald, Shane – another young rider making swift progress.

G

Galileo – the end of an era.

Golden Sixty – Hong Kong champion.

Gordon – gone for 6 months, like it or not, he’s back in business.

Godolphin – Fantastic year for the boys in blue on the track.

H

Henry (de Bromhead joined Aidan and Willie as just a first name trainer);

Hurricane Lane – Irish Derby and St Leger winner.

Honeysuckle – the hurdling queen.

Sheikh Hamdan Al Maktoum – we lost a huge supporter.

Heaven Help Us – joy for the Henesseys and proving a small operator can have big days.

Hollie Doyle – continued excellence plus a TV documentary.

Hemmings, Trevor – Racing lost one of its most popular owners.

I

Injuries – all the top jump jockeys spent time on the sidelines – Russell, Blackmore, Kennedy, Townend – you take nothing for granted.

Interference rules – still a topical debate.

J

Jordan Gainford – new talent.

Johnny Murtagh – old master and a breakthrough season at the big Festivals.

Japan – the new force in bloodstock – hoovering up well-bred mares.

K

Khalid Abdulla – the hugely influential owner-breeder passed away.

Knicks Go – American champion.

Kiely, John – Cesarewitch winner at 84 – who said it’s a young man’s game?

Kimmage, Paul – cast his eye toward racing and didn’t like what he saw.

L

Laytown – still unique and a success in November.

Loves Only You – she put Japan on the Breeders’ Cup roll of honour.

Luxembourg – a worthy Derby favourite?

M

Indo and Times – all from Minella; Mother Earth – another dual Group 1 winner; Mac Swiney classic winner from the Bolger school;

Medina Spirit… and still… the Kentucky Derby winner, even in death.

Morgan – who? Don’t ask! Mishriff – a thoroughly versatile and classy top-notcher.

Mehmas – continues to hit the target as a sire.

N

Native Trail the top two-year-old; Notebook – watch and learn how to jump fences.

Nallen, John – where to find a Gold Cup winner, or even a Grand National one.

Navarro, Jorge – five-year jail sentence for administering drugs to his horses.

O

Oisin Murphy – champion jockey but other headlines were less appealing.

P

Pivotal – farewell to a renowned sire.

Poetic Flare – one of the best three-year-olds of the year.

Panorama – more bad publicity for racing.

Put The Kettle On – Champion Chase winner.

Q

Quilixios – impressive Triumph Hurdle winner.

R

Rachael – in a class of her own.

Rossi – the family embroiled in investigations in France. Rain – where did it all go?

S

Snowfall, St Mark’s Basilica – Ballydoyle’s two three-year-old champions.

Space Blues emerged as another tip-top Godolphin runner; Sneezy Foster took over the reins in Cullentra; Subjectivist became the top stayer and Gold Cup winner at Ascot.

Sonnyboyliston was hailed the Irish St Leger winner for Johnny Murtagh.

Santa Barbara – Classic favourite, Group 1 winner but sadly no more.

State Of Rest - overcame travel issues to land a Cox Plate; Scintigraphy – if you want to go to Melbourne, you have to have a scan.

Starman was one of the top sprinters – if Carlsburg did good looking horses...

Skyace and the Shark – A Grade 1 winner for €600

Struthers, Paul – stepped away from the BHA.

Shishkin – Two-mile champion but sshh, where is he?

T

Torquato Tasso – the surprise Arc winner.

The Tramore stable yard – headlines for the wrong reason.

Tenebrism – the top two-year-old filly.

Trueshan – the new top stayer.

The Mean Queen – Keri Brion took her from Wexford to top jumper in the US; Tarnawa – unlucky to miss out on more Group 1s.

Tylicki, Freddie – won his damages case against Grahams Gibbons.

U

Under suspicion – racing is still in the firing line from many quarters.

V

Verry Elleegant – Melbourne Cup winner.

Viking Hoard – subject of the Tramore doping incident.

W

Waller, Chris – trainer of best sprinter in the world in Nature Strip?

Warwick, John – caught in another bad-news story.

X

Y

Yoshito Yahagi - hit the headlines at the Breeders’ Cup.

Yibir – ended up another star for Godolphin.

Z

Zaaki – now a Group 1 star down under.

Zoffany - another fine sire lost