AS is evidenced week in week out in Irish racing the smaller trainers are no slouches when it comes to talent. So a big shout out to Toomevara trainer Ray Hackett who is the winner of the inaugural Gain The Advantage Series, a flat season-long initiative, winning €5,000 of Gain Equine Nutrition products.

The series began with two divisions of the Gain The Advantage Series Handicap at Leopardstown in April, taking in races at Cork, Navan, Ballinrobe, Fairyhouse, Tipperary and the Curragh before concluding at Naas last Sunday.

Three races

Hackett saddled the winners of three races in the series, which provided an increase of 40% in prize money for connections. Lord McZie gave Conor Clarke the first winner of his career when scoring at Navan in May and the Toomevara apprentice was also on-board Rock On Seamie, the winner of the second division of the Gain The Advantage Series Handicap at Ballinrobe the following month.

Limerick amateur rider Áine O’Connor partnered the Hackett-trained Sequoiaspirit to win the Gain The Advantage Series Ladies Handicap at Tipperary in August. Sequoiaspirit was fourth at the finale at Naas and the trainer ended the series with a total of 39 points, 18 clear of Joseph G Murphy in second with 21 points and third place being shared four ways by Eoin Doyle, Tony Martin, Andy Oliver, and John Feane on 12 points.

The winning breeders were entered into a draw to win a tonne of Gain Equine Nutrition products and Eamonn Phelan and Reuben Solomon, breeders of Insignia Of Rank, the winner of the Naas leg, were the lucky winners. The 10 breeders also received a framed photograph of their winning horse.

Nessa O’Brien, a groom with Hackett, was the winner of the stable staff competition and walked away with a three-night stay in the Alex Hotel in Dublin.

Ray Hackett said: “We targeted the Gain The Advantage Series from the start; the points system, the prize money, everything about it gives the smaller trainer a chance to compete at a really good level for really good prize money. It’s nice for the yard, it’s given the yard a real buzz, we have thoroughly enjoyed it.”