NEXT Wednesday will mark the beginning of the winter campaign at Dundalk which will sustain the country’s flat racing fraternity until the 2019 turf season gets underway at Naas.

The introduction of the winter season, which is now firmly established in Irish racing calendar, has been a commendable initiative. In the case of a wet autumn if affords young horses looking for decent ground an outlet to showcase their talents and offers some of the country’s smaller yards a chance to shine.