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
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